With the film set to debut later this year, the cast of Dune: Part Two grows even more prominent as a Tim Blake Nelson (O Brother, Where Art Thou?) has joined the upcoming science fiction epic in an undisclosed role, according to a report from The Hollywood Reporter. While details on his character remain scarce, the announcement comes just a few weeks after filming on the project wrapped. He joins previously announced cast members Austin Butler (Elvis) as Feyd-Rautha, Florence Pugh (Black Widow) as Princess Irulan, and Christopher Walken as Emperor Shaddam IV.

The upcoming sequel will serve as a direct continuation of the first film and will adapt the second half of Frank Hebert‘s seminal novel. Denis Villeneuve, who previously helmed the first film, returns to the director’s chair to bring the novel to life on the big screen.​​​​​​ Returning cast members from the first film include Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Stellan Skarsgård with Zendaya, Javier Bardem, and Josh Brolin, alongside Dave Bautista and Charlotte Rampling.

The first Dune debuted in both theaters and HBO Max in 2021 to critical acclaim and box office success, with many praising the film for its epic sense of scale, visual effects, and faithfulness to the novel’s themes. The critical acclaim later earned the film six Academy Awards, including Best Achievement in Visual Effects, Best Achievement in Production Design, and Best Original Score, among several others. Alongside the eventual release of Dune: Part Two, the franchise will continue to expand with the release of Dune: The Sisterhood, an HBO Max series that takes place 10,000 years before the events of the first film and focuses on the origins of the Bene Gesserit.

Outside his upcoming role in Dune: Part Two, Nelson is also set to star return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe with the release of Captain America: New World Order, where he will reprise his role as Samuel Sterns, also known as the Leader, after previously playing the character in The Incredible Hulk. He is also set to appear in Poker Face, an upcoming mystery series from Knives Out director Rian Johnson. With Nelson now set to be part of the expanding Dune universe, fans have another reason to look forward to the next installment of the franchise when it debuts in theaters later this year.

Dune: Part Two debuts exclusively in theaters on November 3.

via Collider