Dune: Part Two hits theaters in one week and it instantly thrusts you back into the action. After a new character gives the briefest of recaps of what happened in the first film, co-writer and director Denis Villeneuve picks up where things left off and doesn’t stop until the credits roll almost three hours later.
To prep for the film, a trip back to Dune: Part One is obviously the best thing. But, in lieu of that, we’ve got a rundown of who is playing who, and what you need to remember about them, to get you all set for your return to Arrakis.
Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet)
Paul is the son of Duke Leo Atreides and Lady Jessica, rightful heir to House Atreides, new lords of the sand planet Arrakis. However, as we saw in the first film, the Emperor of the Galaxy had another one of the major houses, the Harkonnens, who have a centuries-old feud with the Atreides, slaughter them. They got almost everyone except Paul and his mother, who escaped.
But Paul is not just plain old royalty. With a carefully blended bloodline, he’s been carefully groomed to potentially be the most powerful force in the galaxy. This belief has subsequently been planted in the cultures of Arrakis long before Paul’s arrival. So, when Paul arrives on Arrakis, many people already believe Paul is their deity, Lisan al-Gaib. Paul isn’t so sure. Though he does have very odd, sometimes fortuitous visions.
Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson)
Paul’s mom, Lady Jessica, is the only other survivor from the Atreides family, having escaped the genocide conducted by the Harkonnens. She’s a member of the Bene Gesserit, a powerful group of women who secretly shape the galaxy through political influence and, most importantly, by giving birth to children with specially selected fathers. They’ve done this across time in hopes of finally giving birth to the Kwisatz Haderach, the most powerful person ever. Is it Paul?
She’s got the Bene Gesserit ability to make people do what she says if spoken in a certain voice and, we learned in the last film, is pregnant with Paul’s sister.
Chani (Zendaya)
When Paul and Jessica escape the Harkonnens they seek the help of the Fremen, the native people of Arrakis. The Fremen live and thrive in the desert, having developed a very specific way of living. They conserve water, ride sandworms, and hide their true numbers in secret lairs deep in the desert. Chani is a bright, strong Fremen woman who Paul has been having dreams about long before he even came to her planet. For what reason? We don’t know.
Stilgar (Javier Bardem)
Stilgar is the Fremen leader of just one of their many underground homes, Sietch Tabr. We haven’t seen it by the end of the first film, but will pretty early in Part Two. He’s a traditional man who was cautiously optimistic about working with the Atreides when he met Paul’s father in the first movie. Now, having found Paul and Jessica in the desert, he’s starting to see signs that many of his deepest, most powerful beliefs could be coming true. This Paul kid might be the God he’s been waiting for.
Gurney Halleck (Josh Brolin)
Gurney was a trusted advisor and military leader for House Atreides who saw that all go to shit overnight in the last movie. We don’t know his specific whereabouts but we know he’s in the movie. He and Paul have a very strong, kind of uncle and nephew-type relationship.
Lord Baron Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård)
It’s Harkonnen time. As mentioned earlier, the Harkonnens are one of the galaxy’s great houses and long-time rivals of House Atredies. They were previously in charge of Arrakis before the Emperor sent them away, only to later have them come back with murderous vengeance and kill all the Atredies. Well, almost all.
The lead of House Harkonnen is the Baron. A massive man who needs all manner of wires and goop to stay alive. He’s incredibly evil, but not very mobile, so he gets his family members to do much of his dirty work.
Feyd-Rautha (Austin Butler)
Also known as: the role played by Sting in the David Lynch film. Feyd wasn’t in Part One but he’s an imposing presence in Part Two. He’s one of the Baron’s nephews and, according to the Bene Gesserit, the one with the most potential. In fact, they think he and not Paul could be the person they’ve been waiting for. They don’t care that he’s heartless and sadistic. In fact, they like that. So does his uncle.
Glossu Rabban (Dave Bautista)
Rabban is another of the Baron’s nephews, older brother to Feyd-Rautha. And, since he’s older, he was given the honor of taking over Arrakis once the Atredies were all dead. But, they weren’t all dead, were they? So Rabban is on a short leash, especially with a brother waiting in the wings.
Emperor Shaddam IV (Christopher Walken)
He’s the leader of the galaxy and the driving force behind the current Atredies and Harkonnen war. However, no one knows that. He did it in secret under the advice of his Bene Gesserit advisor. And, if that’s the case, is he really the leader or is it she?
Though he’s mentioned in the first movie, the Emperor is making his first appearance in Dune: Part Two.
Gaius Helen Mohiam (Charlotte Rampling)
Mohiam was seen in Dune: Part One as the Bene Gesserit leader who tested Paul before he left for Arrakis. She’s the Emperor’s advisor and one of the ultimate architects of this higher-level manipulation that’s happening all over the galaxy.
Princess Irulan (Florence Pugh)
Daughter to the Emporer, Princess Irulan makes her first appearance in Dune: Part Two. She’s a Bene Gesserit in training and possesses an incredible intellect that lets her see that her father may not be making the best decisions.
Lady Margot Fenring (Léa Seydoux)
Lady Margot is another new addition to Dune: Part Two. She’s a Bene Gesserit tasked with keeping an eye on what’s happening with Feyd-Rautha.
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