It looks like Denis Villeneuve has finally found his Princess Irulan, daughter of the Emperor.
The 'Little Women' star is set to join the cast for the highly anticipated sequel to 2021's 'Dune'. Variety reports that Oscar-nominated Pugh is currently in talks to take on the role as Princess Irulan, an influential character throughout the series of books by Frank Herbert.
Timothy Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Zendaya and Javier Bardem are also returning for the sequel.
'Dune: Part Two' is casting three new major parts, including Emperor Shaddam IV, the ruler who sends the Atreides family to Arrakis, and Feyd-Rautha, the cunning nephew of the Baron who heads House Harkonnen.
The film will set off from where Part 1 ended. Chalamet's Paul is on a mission with the indigenous fremen to save the planet Arrakis from the Baron Harkonnen (Skarsgard).
Princess Irulan becomes an important figure around this time in the story and becomes romantically involved with Paul.
Certain obstacles still remain for Pugh to sign up to the franchise, however. She is in the running to play Madonna in an upcoming biopic which may come down to a choice between the two roles. She is also currently filming for Christopher Nolan's new film 'Oppenheimer'. This could see her schedule full for the foreseeable future if any delays happen.
'Dune' grossed nearly $400 million globally and picked up 10 Oscar nominations, including nods for best picture and best adapted screenplay. However, to much surprise, Denis Villeneuve was snubbed in the best director category.
'Dune Part Two' will begin production in the summer. It is set for an October 2023 release.
