Dave Bautista Explains How He Was Cast In Dune

Dave Bautista explains how he came to be cast in Denis Villeneuve’s Dune remake, and the immense pride he felt when he was offered the role. The latest attempt to adapt Frank Herbert’s iconic sci-fi novel was one of the most anticipated movies of last year. Unfortunately, the coronavirus pandemic prevented it from debuting in December as planned. Now, Dune is scheduled for release in October of this year. It’s supposed to be one of the WB movies rolling out both in theaters and on HBO Max, though both Villeneuve and production company Legendary have opposed this.

Dune boasts an impressively star-studded cast that includes Timothee Chalamet, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Zendaya, and Jason Momoa. It also includes Bautista, who plays the sadistic and violent Glossu Rabban, nephew to Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård). Ever since his breakout role in 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy, Bautista has notched several roles in major films over the years, including Villeneuve’s own Blade Runner 2049. It’s that part that appears to have paved the way for him to join Dune.

Bautista recently spoke to Collider and shared how he came by the role of Glossu Rabban. From the start, he wanted to be a part of Dune, but he was hesitant to approach Villeneuve himself. As a result, when Villeneuve approached Bautista, the actor was overwhelmed with pride. He recalled:

“We tracked that movie for months because I wanted to be a part of it so bad. I never reached out, because I don’t want to be that guy, like ‘Hey, Denis, is there a part for me?’ I never wanted to be that guy. But he actually called me, he didn’t say anything like ‘so there’s this part…’ He just straight up asked me if I would come and play this part. I was so taken aback I didn’t even know what to say, except for, obviously, ‘yes.’ Moments like that really gauge how far I’ve come, as an actor. There’s a lot of pride in it for me that a director like Denis would call like that and offer me a role in a film that I know is going to be enormous. Because people have been waiting for this for years and years and years. And people are so passionate about the novels. So for him to offer me such an integral part of this film, for me, it was a personal statement. I can’t purchase that type of emotion, that sense of pride. These are the few moments in life where I get that, where I feel like my life is worth something, I did something with my life. My life means something.”

He also shared his reaction to Dune‘s script, saying:

“I was blown away [by the script]. I was blown away. It’s weird, because when I read Blade Runner, when I read Dune, it’s hard for me to know what their visions are. Especially what Denis’ vision is, because the worlds they create are just so enormous. I don’t think I could ever direct a film like that. My talent would lie in a very contained drama, that’s what I would like to do, that’s what I aspire to do. But creating these—even like James [Gunn]—these universes, these galaxies, they’re just so far over my head. So I read it and thought it was beautiful, I was emotionally invested in the script and the characters, but I don’t think my imagination stretches that far to create these worlds.”

Over the years, Bautista has spoken about his desire to grow as an actor. Villeneuve’s vote of confidence – as in, directly asking Bautista if he would play the part in Dune – must’ve meant the world to him. Aside from Dune, Bautista has several high-profile movies on the way, including Knives Out 2, which he was just cast in this week. It’s wild to think that less than ten years ago he was only beginning to transition to the big screen; now, Bautista is a bona fide movie star.

Dune is poised to be the first in a two-part saga, though Warner Bros. has yet to greenlight the second one officially. Despite being one of the most anticipated movies of the past two years, Dune remains largely shrouded in mystery, having only received one trailer and a handful of images. With its October release date slowly drawing closer, more promotional materials should be released soon. They might reveal more of Bautista’s Glossu Rabban, who was only quickly glimpsed in the first trailer. Villeneuve picked Bautista for this role for a reason, and it will be very exciting to see why that is later this year.