Christopher Walken joins cast of 'Dune Part Two' as the Emperor

MANILA, Philippines — Sci-fi epic "Dune" by Denis Villeneuve, based on the novel by Frank Herbert, expands its star-studded cast with the inclusion of legendary actor Christopher Walken as the Emperor Shaddam IV in its upcoming sequel.

"Dune Part Two" will pick up where the first movie left off, as Timothee Chalamet's Paul Atreides seeks the help of Zendaya's Chani and her fellow Fremen to free the planet Arrakis from the clutch of rivals House Harkonnen.

It was then the uncasted Emperor who sent House Atreides, led by Oscar Isaac's Leto and Paul's father, to govern Arrakis — coveted for its Spice — only to be ambushed and sacked by the returning Harkonnens led by Stellan Skarsgård's Baron Vladimir Harkonnen.

Villenueve insisted on adapting Herbert's massive novel into two parts in order to give the story justice, and box office returns prompted Legendary and Warner Bros. to greenlight a continuation.

Related: WATCH: Timothée Chalamet in 'Dune' trailer

The 79-year-old Walken is best known for stand-out performances in iconic movies such as "Pulp Fiction," "Catch Me If You Can," "Batman Returns," "Click," "Hairspray," and his Oscar-winning role in "The Deer Hunter."

Returning from the first film for "Dune Part Two" are Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Javier Bardem and Josh Brolin, while "Black Widow" actress Florence Pugh and "Elvis" actor Austin Butler are among the new additions joining Walken.

"Dune" collected over $400 million (P20.9 billion) at the box office despite having a same-day streaming release and was up for 10 Academy Awards at 2022 Oscars, winning six (all in the craft categories).

"Dune Part Two" will be directed, co-produced, and co-written once more by Denis Villeneuve, and is set for a October 2023 release.

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