David Dastmalchian Teases His ‘Frightening’ ‘Dune’ Character

David Dastmalchian opened up about playing the frightening Piter de Vries in the upcoming Dune adaptation.

The upcoming Dune adaptation sports a heavyweight cast which includes Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya, and Oscar Isacc to name a few. While the film may boast half a dozen so-called “movie stars”, it also features noted character David Dastmalchian, who fans will remember from Twin Peaks: The Return, The Dark Knight, and the Ant-Man films. Dastmalchian is also set to star as the Polka-Dot man in James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad. The actor is known for playing slightly eccentric roles but his upcoming stint in Dune is a whole new territory for him.

In a recent interview with /Film, David Dastmalchian discussed the absurdist nature of Piter de Vries, one of the standout characters from the novel. Dastmalchian also continued by discussed how Denis Villeneuve’s upcoming adaptation shares the same spirit as the novel, which enthused the actor.

“So the character, Piter de Vries, was always utterly fascinating and disturbing and a dark place to go. I took a great deal of inspiration from the book. But then when I read the script, I was like, ‘Oh, he’s right there.’ And obviously being in the hands of someone like Denis, it was kind of a no brainer, just what he wanted him to look and move and feel like. Denis is very good at communicating those things.”

David Dastmalchian then continued by breaking down the Piter, who he described as both ‘frightening and disturbing’. Dastmalchian has dipped his toes in unnerving characters, particularly in The Dark Knight, but this seems to be the first time where’s going off the edge.

“With Piter, there’s that psychopathy that comes from being a twisted Mentat, that is frightening and disturbing. And to put myself in his mindset was hard. So to utter a language, because Piter’s brain operates at such a high level, he is for all intents and purposes, a human computer, speaking in the highly specific way in which the language would come out was actually … it made perfect sense. It seemed to really add a great deal to the character. It felt more like an assist than an obstacle, if that makes sense.”

Are you excited to see David Dastmalchian in Dune? Comment below and let us know!

A synopsis of the film reads as follows:

Set in the distant future, Dune tells the story of Paul Atreides whose family accepts control of the desert planet Arrakis. As the only producer of a highly valuable resource, control of Arrakis is highly contested among the noble families. After Paul and his family are betrayed, the story explores themes of politics, religion, and man’s relationship to nature as Paul leads a rebellion to restore his family’s control of Arrakis.

Directed by Denis Villeneuve from a script he co-wrote with Eric Roth and Jon Spaihts, Dune stars Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Dave Bautista, Stellan Skarsgard, Charlotte Rampling, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Jason Momoa, Javier Bardem, and David Dastmalchian.

Dune is set to hit theaters on October 22, 2021. Stay tuned for all the latest news on the upcoming Dune film, and make sure you subscribe to Stock Market Pioneer’s YouTube channel for more content!

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