Recently, Tim Blake Nelson spoke about getting cut from Dune: Part Two, revealing hints as to who he played.
Denis Villeneuve’s highly anticipated Dune: Part Two was released earlier this year, finishing the adaptation of Frank Herbert’s groundbreaking 1965 sci-fi novel Dune. The film saw a lengthy runtime of 2 hours and 46 minutes (or 166 minutes) and several deleted scenes. Like 2021’s Dune, the deleted scenes aren’t expected to be released. Villeneuve stated in an interview with Collider that “when it’s not in the movie it’s dead.”
Notable exclusions from Dune: Part Two include Stephen McKinley Henderson’s character, Thufir Hawat, who has a sizable role in the plot of the novel. Additionally, Tim Blake Nelson was cut from the film, and little is known about who the actor played. These exclusions surprised fans when the film premiered, only boosting desire for an extended edition.
Tim Blake Nelson Talks Getting Cut From ‘Dune: Part Two’
Recently, Tim Blake Nelson appeared on the podcast Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum and talked about getting cut from the sci-fi blockbuster. When asked about wanting to have the scene released, Nelson replies, “That’s all Denis.”
Additionally, Nelson talks about why he got cut, saying: “Of course one always wonders, as an actor, whether if you had just been a little bit better, then they wouldn’t have been able to excise that scene.”
Furthermore, the actor debated whether or not the reason for his exclusion was that the film was too long or that he wasn’t good enough. However, the actor clarifies that he has no ill feelings toward Villeneuve: “I love Denis. I had a great time, and I hope I get to do something with him again.”
Tim Blake Nelson Reveals Details On His Cut Scene
Currently, there are few details on who Tim Blake Nelson played in Dune: Part Two. His casting in the film was reported as a late addition by The Hollywood Reporter in early 2023. The leading theory is that the actor played Count Hasimir Fenring, the husband of Léa Seydoux’s Margot Fenring.
Count Fenring has a role in the second half of the original novel, appearing at Feyd-Rautha’s birthday gladiator fight and being in the room when Paul ascends the throne after he defeats Feyd-Rautha. The character isn’t mentioned in the first film but is in the first half of the novel. The inclusion of Margot Fenring and the exclusion of Count Fenring has led fans to believe that Nelson’s role was Count Fenring. However, on the podcast WTF with Marc Maron in February 2023, Nelson revealed that his role in Dune: Part Two was only a cameo.
Towards the end of his appearance on Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum, Nelson says, “I would still go over and do the part just for being directed by him [Villeneuve], and filmed by Grieg Fraser and working with Josh Brolin.”
The detail that Nelson filmed with Josh Brolin provides new evidence for who he could’ve played in the film. Although Count Fenring has no direct interactions with Gurney Halleck in the novel, it’s plausible that it was added to the film.
In the novel and film, Gurney Halleck becomes a smuggler after the fall of House Atreides. The character’s first scene in the film is guarding a spice harvester before his reunion with Paul Atreides.
However, In the novel it’s shown how Gurney becomes a smuggler and takes sanctuary with them. With Nelson revealing he played a cameo and shot with Josh Brolin, it’s possible Nelson played a smuggler who brings in Gurney Halleck for sanctuary.
Dune: Part Two is available to purchase digitally and recently released on Blu-ray. The film will be streaming on Max May 21st.
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