It is being reported that in the pre-production stages of Dune: Part Two, Florence Pugh has been eyed to join the cast and play the role of Princess Irulan, royal daughter of the Emperor. Although Dune released day-and-date in theaters and on HBO Max, the film still earned $41 million in its opening weekend and swept the Oscar nominations with ten nominations, including Best Picture. Director Denis Villeneuve, Warner Bros., and Legendary confirmed the sequel shortly after the film’s release, and its success was undeniable.

Pugh is most known for her work in Ari Aster’s Midsommar and Greta Gerwig’s Little Women and playing Scarlett Johansson’s in-universe Marvel sister, Yelena Belova. She was first introduced in the solo Black Widow film that was released in 2021 and later appeared again in the Disney+ series Hawkeye. She will star in Olivia Wilde’s Don’t Worry Darling later this year, along with Netflix’s The Wonder. She is also currently filming Christopher Nolan’s newest pic Oppenheimer, which is set to release in summer 2023.

Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, and Dave Bautista are among the returning cast, and Villeneuve is returning as director, producer, and co-screenwriter.

Dune: Part Two is expected to start filming this summer for an October 2023 release.