Much of the attention at the world premiere of Dune: Part Two in London was on Emmy-winning actor-come-fashion-icon Zendaya’s scene-stealing silver C-3PO-esque robot outfit.
But for actress Florence Pugh the focus should be firmly on director Denis Villeneuve for creating a film she believes will be studied by students of cinema for years to come.
Speaking to Sky News on the red carpet at Leicester Square, she said: “When I watched the movie I said ‘I think this might be the best movie I’ve ever watched in my life.’
“And people will study this movie for a long, long time, removing myself out of it.”
While Timothee Chalamet returns as Paul Atreides – now seeking revenge against those who decimated his family tree – Pugh is a newcomer to the desert planet of Arrakis.
She joins as the Emperor’s daughter, Princess Irulan, whose father was played by acting legend Christopher Walken.
“Take away the characters, I’m just glad that I got to spend that much time with Christopher Walken. I just got to watch him and learn and take in everything,” she says.
“He’s someone that I’ve admired since I was a child… it’s a gift, truly.”
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For Pugh, joining the cast under Villeneuve’s direction felt almost like a return to a kind of old-fashioned filmmaking she relished working on.
“It takes you back to how movies should be made,” she explains. “Putting people in the right spaces with the right costumes and the right actors.
“You know, there can be as many green screens in the world, but ultimately, when you’re in those locations and when you’re on those unbelievable sets, it does lots of the acting for you. I feel very, very, very lucky to be here.”
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The film is based on author Frank Herbert’s highly acclaimed 1965 novel and tackles politics, religion, the fight for precious resources and the environment.
In real life, with claims of Russia developing space nuclear weapons, Pugh commented on how while we think of Dune as a distant science fiction future, actually some of its themes are equally representative of wider issues we are experiencing today.
“This book was written a long time ago and… I think it says something how as humans, we struggle with bumping into the same issues again and again and again.”
Dune: Part Two is released in UK cinemas on 1 March.
