Stellan Skarsgard roped in to play the villainous Baron Harkonnen in Denis Villeneuve's Dune

Stellan Skarsgård, known for his roles in Thor and Pirates of The Caribbean franchise as well a_s Mamma Mia!_ and its 2018 sequel Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, has joined the cast of Denis Villeneuve’s ambitious project Dune. The makers of the film, based on Frank Herbert’s 1965 science fiction novel, have already roped in Timothee Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson and Dave Bautista for the film. [caption id=“attachment_5872261” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] Stellan Skarsgard. Image via Twitter[/caption] According to The Hollywood Reporter, Dune will go on floors in spring this year, and is scheduled to film in Budapest and Jordan. Herbert’s literary classic was a recipient of the Hugo Award and Nebula Award for Best Novel in 1966. Set in a distant future amidst a feudal interstellar society, Dune narrates the tale of a fallen noble family attempting to gain control over a desert planet named Arrakis and consequently its export, a rare spice drug, melange. Skarsgård will take on the role of the primary antagonist of the Dune universe — Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, a “grossly and immensely fat” villain with a “basso voice” who was the initial ruler of Arrakis. Chamalet will play Paul Atreides, heir of House Atreides, an aristocratic family that rules the planet Caladan. Consequence of Sound informs that Bautista will play Harkonnen’s sadistic nephew, “Beast” Rabban. Villeneuve has co-written the script, alongside Eric Roth and Jon Spaihts. Villeneuve is also serving as the producer, along with Mary Parent and Cale Boyter.