Dune 2 director hints Florence Pugh will serve greater purpose in Dune Messiah

Dune director Denis Villeneuve confirms that Florence Pugh will have a bigger role to play in the unconfirmed Dune 3.

Dune: Part Two has already blown critics and regular movie goers out of the water with its impressive visuals and chilling storytelling.

Debuting with an almost perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes, one of the biggest compliments the film has received is due to the stellar performances of its A-list cast which consists of Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Austin Bulter, Florence Pugh, and many more.

Pugh herself doesn’t have the biggest role in the stunning sequel, but director Denis Villeneuve has hinted that her true character work with begin in Dune 3. Warning: slight spoilers ahead!

Villeneuve reveals Pugh will be more important in Dune 3

While chatting with Moviefone about Pugh’s involvement in Part Two, Villeneuve explained that, while Pugh’s Princess Irulan isn’t a standout character right now, she will be featured heavily throughout Dune Messiah and likened her smaller to bigger roles as the same journey Zendaya went through in Part One.

“I wanted to create a character that will have inner strength and that will never be perceived as a victim. I wanted an actress that could convey only with the way she’s listening,” Villeneuve said, “I wanted someone with a strong presence that the audience could see just in the way she was witnessing events or listening to other characters, that they feel her presence on her own journey, but she’s more of a witness in this story.”

“Of course, if there’s a Dune Messiah as we plan, she’ll become one of the prominent characters of that whole series. I’m doing a bit of what I did with Zendaya in the first movie. I introduced Chani in Dune and then she becomes one of the main characters in Part Two. I do the same with Florence, I just introduced her in Part Two and if there’s a Dune Messiah, she becomes one of the main characters.”

Pugh herself has confirmed that her role was meant to be small on purpose stating, “It didn’t matter how big my role was…When I chatted to Denis, he kept apologizing and saying ‘In this one, it’s really not a big part. I won’t be offended [if you say no].’ I was like ‘I don’t care! I just want to come and watch you work. This is a dream.’”

The ending of Part Two sees Princess Irulan being wed to Paul Atreides (Chalamet) after he defeats Irulan’s father Emperor Shaddam Corrino IV and ascends to the throne.

In Dune Messiah, though they are wed, Princess Irulan is constantly overcome with jealously because of Paul’s unwavering love for Fremen leader Chani (Zendaya), to the point where she responsible for Chani’s death after giving her dangerous contraceptives that result in her dying while giving birth to her and Paul’s twins.

Princess Irulan, after realizing the gravity of her actions, then takes over as a loving mother to her stepchildren and helps to keep the legacy of the Atreides bloodline through them.

As Pugh’s incredible acting range has already been established in both this movie, her intense and tumultuous role in Dune Messiah will definitely be one to watch out for if the film is confirmed to be happening in the future.