Dave Bautista seems to be making a habit of attaching himself to cherished sci-fi properties. Having already stolen scenes as Drax in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies and assumed a supporting role in Denis Villeneuve’s Blade Runner 2049, the actor and pro wrestler is now set to reunite with the director for the upcoming Dune remake.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Bautista has landed the role of “Beast” Rabban in the Legendary picture, performing opposite the likes of Timothée Chalamet and Rebecca Ferguson in what’s planned to be the first of two films adapting the renowned Frank Herbert novel.
For those unfamiliar, Dune tells a tale of conflict between rival noble families on the planet of Arrakis, home to an addictive drug known as “spice” that’s considered the most valued commodity in the galaxy. The story was previously brought to the big screen with David Lynch’s divisive 1984 feature, which proved a box office bomb but has since amassed a cult following.
While Lynch’s version saw Kyle MacLachlan in the heroic role of Paul Atreides, the remake will see Chalamet in the lead, while Bautista takes over from Paul Smith as the violent nephew of a baron who oversees the “dunes” of Arrakis.
If the actor’s social media activity and interview comments from the last year are anything to go by, then he certainly isn’t on the best of terms with Disney right now due to the studio’s controversial decision to fire James Gunn from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Bautista’s even dropped various hints that he may soon be departing from the MCU, but should this be the case, then Dune sounds like a natural progression, transitioning from a family-friendly franchise of interplanetary action, to the shot of pure, unadulterated sci-fi that Villeneuve’s track record suggests this project could be.