With Dune: Part Two officially kicking into high gear upon its release, it’s starting to look like just a matter of time before its box office haul reflects those crispy critical reviews. Indeed, if Dune: Part Three wasn’t already inevitable, it certainly is now.
***SPOILER ALERT: This post spoils the ending of Dune: Part Two. So tread like you’re walking on Arrakis.***
And what a tipping point that movie is going to have to work with. Paul (Timothée Chalamet) slaughters both Vladimir (Stellan Skarsgård) and Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen (Austin Butler) during the final stretch of Dune: Part Two. This sets the stage for a holy war at the hands of the messianic Paul, who adds to the tension by strategically marrying the Emperor’s daughter, Princess Irulan (Florence Pugh), much to the dismay of his lover Chani (Zendaya).
It won’t be a surprise to anyone familiar with the source material, but according to Pugh, the power of the ending’s implications doesn’t lie in the surprises. Speaking recently to ComicBook.com, the actress offered some remarks on Irulan’s place in Dune: Part Two‘s ending, pointing out just how much power she’s stepping into both politically and emotionally.
“I think she understands what this means. Through [Chani’s] very beautiful, sad face, does she understand that this was not part of the plan, which means that, realistically, she’s needed in this deal as much as she needs them. So there’s a lot that’s going on underneath everything. It doesn’t feel good. It purely makes you ready for what’s going to happen next, which is very, very exciting.”
Irulan may not have gotten a wealth of screen time in Part Two, but the soft power that Pugh pulled out of her in every scene made it clear that the princess would take on a greater role in future events. With Irulan now standing by Paul’s side—the latter having taken the throne from Shaddam IV by way of the ever-slick combination of political marriage and nuclear ultimatum—the stage set for that role to truly come to the front when Part Three finally bears its teeth.
(featured image: Warner Bros. Pictures)
