EntertainmentMoviesSci-Fi MoviesDune 2Dune 2 star Stellan Skarsgård says it’s always easier playing a villain - “don’t show any empathy and then you end up with a psychopath"When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
EntertainmentMoviesSci-Fi MoviesDune 2Dune 2 star Stellan Skarsgård says it’s always easier playing a villain - “don’t show any empathy and then you end up with a psychopath"When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
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(Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures)
How do you get into the headspace of a cruel villain, particularly one who is the chief architect of many, many, many deaths? That’s the question actor Stellan Skarsgård was posed with upon taking on the role of Baron Harkonnen in director Denis Villeneuve’s 2021 adaptation of sci-fi author Frank Herbert’s beloved novelDune. And it’s something he was faced with again in this year’s sequelDune: Part Two,where he returns as the antagonist.
As Skarsgård mentions there, the sets we see the Baron on do have “fascistic architecture”, helping emphasize what a cold, ruthless leader he is. And it’s not just him - the whole of the House of Harkonnen has a villainous streak. For the actor, he thinks that’s partly because of the society that the family are living in, one which he thinks reflects historical times: “The brutality could be in the society. I mean, it was a brutal time. It’s that kind of society that they live in, like Henry VIII. He was brutal. But he was a man of his time. And they’re all men of their time. But unfortunately, this is a timely story. It could take place in the 1400s but it could also take place today or tomorrow. We don’t seem to learn very much as humans, just repeat the same mistakes.”
Dune: Part Two releases in theaters worldwide on March 1. For more on the movie check out the rest of our coverage:
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1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
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Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
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2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
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1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
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Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
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3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
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4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4
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5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5
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1
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2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
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3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
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4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
4
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5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5
Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”