‘Dune’ Casting Director on Reflecting the World in Denis Villeneuve’s Sci-Fi Film
variety.comStuart Miller When Frank Herbert wrote his science-fiction epic “Dune” in the 1960s, he instinctively made the crucial character of Liet Kynes a white man.
But Denis Villeneuve sought a modern, diverse cast and he saw Kynes — who must convey integrity and authority while delicately juggling competing diplomatic interests — differently than Herbert.
So in his “Dune,” Kynes is played by Sharon Duncan-Brewster, a Black woman.Duncan-Brewster, who already made history in “Rogue One” as the first Black woman to have a speaking role in the “Star Wars” film universe, is joined in the cast by a consciously diverse collection of actors, including Stephen McKinley Henderson, Chang Chen, Babs Olusanmokun, Benjamin Clementine, Dave Bautista, and, of course, two big-name stars in Jason Momoa and Zendaya.
For his otherworldly film, Villeneuve entrusted the task of collecting this worldly roster of talent to Francine Maisler, whose resume as a casting director stretches back to “Reality Bites,” to “Being the Ricardos,” while for television she cast “The Underground Railroad” and “Winning Time.”“I’m only as good as the director I work with,” Maisler says, “and Denis is so inclusive and thoughtful in his casting.”This interview has been edited for length and clarity.• How did Sharon Duncan-Brewster get cast as Liet Kynes? The idea came from Denis and writer John [Spaihts].
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