Tim Blake Nelson’s scenes for Dune: Part Two were removed from the finished product, according to the actor, which upset him.
Dune: Part Two officially arrived and has already proven to be a smash hit. The feverishly-anticipated sequel reunited much of the cast from the 2021 original and brought in several new cast members.
Tim Blake Nelson Explains His Dune Absence
Actor Tim Blake Nelson was announced to be appearing in Warner Bros.’ Dune: Part Two in January 2023. However, in the finished, theatrical version of the film, he was nowhere to be found.
According to Nelson (via MovieWeb), his character was cut from the movie to trim down its 2-hour and 46-minute runtime:
"I don't think I'm at liberty to say what the scene was. I'd leave that to Denis [Villeneuve] if he wants to talk about it. I had a great time over there shooting it. And then he had to cut it because he thought the movie was too long.“
It’s unknown who Nelson played in Dune: Part Two’s discarded scenes, but he was left “heartbroken” over the whole situation. However, he holds no ill will toward director Denis Villeneuve:
“And I am heartbroken over that, but there's no hard feelings. I loved it, and I can't wait to do something else with him and we certainly plan to do that."
How Dune 2 Is an Instant Success
Dune: Part Two manages to build on the momentum of the first film, introducing new concepts and characters to the franchise world and crafting what many have called a masterpiece of presentation.
The storyline sees Timothée Chalamet’s Paul Atreides uniting the underdog Fremen and, through their combined efforts, launching an all-out attack against the arch-nemesis of House Atreides: House Harkonnen.
Though initially delayed by the 2023 Hollywood strikes, Dune: Part Two completed production late last year and is now playing in theaters. As predicted, the movie is a runaway success and already broke several box office records, including 2024’s biggest opening thus far.
Dune 2’s opening weekend raked in nearly double the amount that its predecessor did in its first few days of release. The caveat is that the first Dune came out during the pandemic when movies often struggled revenue-wise.
Dune: Part Two is in theaters everywhere. Tim Blake Nelson will be seen next year in Marvel Studio’s Captain America: Brave New World as the villainous Leader.
