Timothee Chalamet was the "only choice" to play Paul Atreides in 'Dune', reveals director

Dune is a much-anticipated upcoming epic science fiction film directed by Denis Villeneuve. It features Timothée Chalamet as the lead, Paul Atreides is also a part of the stellar cast. Now, the filmmaker revealed that Chalamet was his only choice to portray the character.

Also Read | 'Dune' Trailer Released; Timothée Chalamet Dominates Denis Villeneuve's Epic Sci-fi

Timothée Chalamet was the first and only choice to play Paul Atreides in Dune

In a recent interview with GQ, Dune director Denis Villeneuve disclosed why he cast Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides. He said that the actor was the “first and only choice” to play the lead.  He further added that the actor has a “deep, deep intelligence” in the eyes and it is something one cannot fake. Calling Chalamet a brilliant kid, the director asserted that he is very intellectual, very strong and people could see that in the eyes.

Denis Villeneuve added that at the same time, Timothée Chalamet looks so young on camera. He mentioned that sometimes the 24-years-old actor looks almost 14-years-old. The filmmaker stated that he has this kind of general youth in his features and the contrast with old-soul quality in his eyes. He noted that he is a kid who knows more about life than his age.

Praising Timothée Chalamet further, Dune director said that he has beautiful charisma of a rock star. He stated that it is similar to his character, Paul Atreides, who leads the whole population of a planet later. The filmmaker asserted that Chalamet has that kind of instant charisma onscreen which people can find only sometimes in the Old Hollywood stars from the ‘20s. He noted that there is something of romantic beauty to the actor. Denis Villeneuve mentioned that for him Timothée Chalamet is Paul Atreides. It was a big relief that he agreed to do the film because the director had no "plan B".

Also Read | 'Dune' Officially Delayed; Timothee Chalamet-Zendaya Starrer Gets Oct 2021 Release Date

Also Read | Dune 2020 Cast List: Know The Characters & Cast Of The Upcoming Science Fiction Film

Dune cast has Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica; Oscar Issac as Duke Leto Atreides; Zendaya as Chani; Josh Brolin as Gurney Halleck; Jason Momoa as Duncan Idaho; and Javier Bardem as Stilgar. It also includes Stellan Skarsgård as Baron Vladimir Harkonnen; Dave Bautista as Glossu Rabban; David Dastmalchian as Piter De Vries; Stephen McKinley Henderson as Thufir Hawat; Charlotte Rampling as Gaius Helen Mohiam; Chang Chen as Dr Wellington Yueh; and Sharon Duncan-Brewster as Dr Liet-Kynes. The movie is based on Frank Herbert’s 1965s novel of the same and is a reboot of the 1984 movie with the same name. Dune is currently scheduled to release on October 1, 2021.

Also Read | 'Dune': Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya, Oscar Issac, Josh Brolin's First Looks Are Out; See

Promo Image Source: Warner Bros. Pictures Youtube