"There were people passing out from heat stroke," he recounted.
The desert planet of Arrakis serves as the backdrop for Dune and its forthcoming sequel Dune: Part Two. To bring the scenery to life, director Denis Villeneuve opted to film in remote desert locations in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates. And while it helped create the world of Frank Herbert's epic sci-fi novel on screen, it wasn't exactly a cool experience (no pun intended) for the actors.
Oscar nominee Austin Butler, who plays Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen in the sequel, reflected on those scorching days in the desert in a new interview with Entertainment Weekly.
"It was 110 degrees and so hot," Butler recounted. "I had the bald cap on, and it was between two soundstages that were just these gray boxes of 200-foot walls and sand. It became like a microwave. There were people passing out from heat stroke. And that was just my first week."
While one might think the heat would create animosity and delirium on set, it ended up bringing everyone there closer together. "It really bonds the entire crew," Butler said. "There’s something so humbling about being in such an uncomfortable environment."
Related: 'Dune 2' Novelty Popcorn Bucket Earns Unfavorable Comparison to Human Anatomy
Villeneuve, for his part, is just happy he and his team decided to split up filming for Dune and Dune: Part Two. If they decided to capture it all in one go, the Canadian filmmaker said they might not have survived.
"Both movies were made in very harsh conditions, and it’s very physically taxing, so to have a break in between them was a blessing," Villeneuve told EW. “My first thought was to shoot both movies back to back together, but now I think I would have died. It was really intense, and seeing how the world reacted to Part One was a boost of positive energy to go back into the desert."
You can travel to the steaming desert of Arrakis without leaving the comfort of an air-conditioned movie theater when Dune: Part Two opens March 1.
