Dune Trailer Gives Best Look Yet At David Dastmalchian’s Sadistic Villain

A new clip from Denis Villeneuve’s Dune reveals more of David Dastmalchian’s portrayal of Piter De Vries, the sadistic right-hand man of Baron Harkonnen. In Frank Herbert’s novel, De Vries is a Mentat, which is a human that performs mental tasks much like a computer and is also a member of the Bene Tleilax, an isolationist society that wishes to take over the universe. De Vries is portrayed in the book as being addicted to Melange (aka Spice) and has red-stained lips from drinking “sapho,” an extract that is believed to improve mental abilities.

Piter De Vries was previously portrayed by Brad Dourif in David Lynch’s 1984 adaptation of Dune, albeit with a much different look than Dastmalchian’s. The book describes De Vries as a short, slender man with effeminate features and frizzy hair. The cunning and sadistic Mentat is the architect in the attack against House Atreides and even seeks to make Lady Jessica his slave. He is fiercely loyal to Baron Harkonnen, even though he suspects the Baron will discard him once he’s outstayed his usefulness.

In a new video clip from Dune, actor David Dastmalchian’s portrayal of Piter De Vries is on full display, showing off the similarities and differences from both the book and prior live-action incarnations. In the clip, Dastmalchian’s De Vries creepily appears to be working at the behest of Baron Harkonnen (as played by Stellan Skarsgard) and shows a number of different outfits for the film, including one with a tube-like collar as he seems to commands the Harkonnen army. In addition to seeing (and hearing) more from Dastmalchian’s portrayal, new dialogue and footage can be seen of Skarsgard’s Harkonnen, where he says “The desert takes the weak,” and “The Atreides will die in the dark,” which teases the coming battle between the two houses. Take a look at the clip below:

Dastmalchian has been on a hot streak of securing notable character roles since his appearance in 2008’s The Dark Knight, which has made the actor an instantly recognizable star. Since that time, he’s appeared in director Denis Villeneuve’s Prisoners and Blade Runner 2049, both of Marvel’s Ant-Man films, and most recently in James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad as Polka-Dot Man. Dastmalchian is currently filming The Last Voyage of the Demeter, which focuses on a single chapter from Bram Stoker’s Dracula, covering the long, deadly voyage on the doomed ship from Carpathia to London.

While Brad Dourif’s portrayal of De Vries in Lynch’s film is a memorable one, seeing Dastmalchian bring his signature blend of creepiness to the sadistic and cunning character will be a sight to see. Dastmalchian has continually proven his merits as a character actor, and this feels like a perfect role for him. Embodying a classic literary villain is a great use of the actor’s talents, as well as an opportunity to stretch beyond them and bring audiences something new with his take. Either way, the hype continues to build for Villeneuve’s Dune, as each new reveal makes the anticipation grow higher.

Source: Dune

About The Author