Javier Bardem’s Enthusiastic Response to Joining ‘Dune’

There is not a day that goes by where we don’t think about the upcoming film adaptation of Frank Herbert‘s seminal science fiction work Dune over at Legendary Pictures from visionary director Denis Villeneuve. With perhaps one of the most interesting assembled casts this side of Rian Johnson‘s Knives Out, each week brings a new face to the desert planet of Arrakis.

Last week, it was three big casting reveals- Jason Momoa as Duncan Idaho, Josh Brolin as Gurney Halleck, and Javier Bardem as Fremen leader Stilgar.

Bardem is a great choice for the role- the warrior who must-needs teach the Kwisatz Haderach the things he doesn’t know about the Fedakin, while at the same time leading his own people through a troubling time.

In a recent chat with our friends over at Collider, Bardem described how he came to the role, AND, a bonus update of when filming (for him at least, as we’ve heard conflicting things) begins:

Collider: You’ve also signed on for Dune, director Denis Villeneuve, who is also an incredible filmmaker. Was it his previous work that drew you to that, or was it the script or the character?

BARDEM:  I saw the Dune from David Lynch. I’ve read the first two books. I saw Prisoners. I saw Sicario. I saw Arrival. I love Blade Runner [2049]. And then, I met him and he asked me, if I’d ever be interested in being in Dune. It was like, “What?! Yes! Of course! Are you kidding?!” Again, what a luxury. What a grace. What a blessing to have a job that you like, and not only that, but to be near people that you admire and that have inspired you, and that you really follow because you love what they do, and they ask you to be a part of that. It’s a luxury, in this life, that I can have. The only thing that I can give back is all of my will and all of my skills, if I have any.

Collider: You do.

BARDEM:  I wanna earn it. Sometimes you doubt. Sometimes you wake up and go, “Fuck! I forgot everything! I suck today!” You have to put yourself away and not be an obstacle anymore.

Collider: Do you know when you are going to be shooting Dune?

BARDEM:  It’s going to be May/June.

Two-time Oscar nominee Timothée Chalamet will star as Paul Atredies, Rebecca Ferguson as his mother The Lady Jessica, Oscar Isaac reportedly joining the film as Paul’s father Duke Leto Atreides, Stellan Skarsgard as Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, Charlotte Rampling as the Bene Gesserit Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam, Dave Bautista as the Beast Raban Harkonnen, Javier Bardem as Fremen leader Stilgar, Josh Brolin as Gurney Halleck, Jason Momoa as Duncan Idaho, David Dastmalchian as Mentat Piter de Vries, and Zendaya as Chani.

Dune is set to hit theaters on November 20th, 2020.

Shai Hulud.