If you were creeped out by the three Harkonnen villains in Dune and Dune 2 and want to keep doing it, you might want to skip this newly surfaced set image.
Dune: Part Two is now available for purchase on streaming and has also freshly announced its imminent DVD and Blu-ray home theater release. In theaters, the massive sci-fi sequel has been wowing audiences for the past two months with a devastatingly dark tale of Chosen One Paul Atreides seeking revenge on the desert planet against the murderers of his home. The bald-headed Harkonnen villains are captivating as sinister opponents. But a recently surfaced picture puts them in a completely new light.
Horror comedy instead of sci-fi epic: Laughing Harkonnen unveiled on Dune 2 set
Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård), who only appears floating or bathing due to his body mass, brought down House Atreides in Dune and once again subjugated the precious desert planet as a tyrant. It is no coincidence that his nephew Glossu Raban (Dave Bautista), a merciless henchman, is nicknamed the “Beast”. In addition to the two bald-headed enemies, Dune 2 also added the emotionless and amoral second Harkonnen nephew Feyd-Rautha (Austin Butler) as a psychotic fighter with a cannibalistic retinue.
So there’s no shortage of sinister opponents in Denis Villeneuve’s two Dune films. But what is currently upsetting many fans of the dark sci-fi epic the most is a set picture of the grinning Harkonnen family that is doing the rounds on social media:
Dave Bautista, Stellan Skarsgård and Austin Butler on set for Denis Villeneuve’s ‘DUNE 2’ pic.twitter.com/Shaiax9oZs
– DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) April 16, 2024
In the comments, people call the picture “nightmare fodder” and comment chummily on the trio as “dudes being dudes”. Whether the “happy family” will really be sending out Christmas cards or filming a Coneheads remake any time soon, however, must ultimately be left to the imagination of the fans, who show themselves here in equal parts attracted, repulsed and amused.
