Dune's Genius Baron Harkonnen Change Almost Didn't Happen
In Dune 2021, Baron Harkonnen turned out a dastardly villain for the ages, but this genius reiteration of his character almost didn’t happen. While it's safe to say the Baron was still memorable in Frank Herbert’s Dune and David Lynch’s Dune, there is an extra edge to Denis Villeneuve’s vision of the House Harkonnen leader that saw this version of the character receive notable praise. However, Dune 2021’s Baron could have easily been quite different. As it turned out, Villeneuve had a lot of convincing to do before he got the designer he wanted.
Baron Harkonnen was one of Villeneuve’s biggest concerns when he prepared to make Dune 2021. In Frank Herbert’s original book, Baron Harkonnen was a talkative manipulator who confirmed many conventional villain stereotypes of the time. Villeneuve feared that the Baron would become a joke if he didn’t alter the dated stereotype. Instead, he wanted a Harkonnen leader whose ominous presence spread fear in his subjects and audiences alike.
Related: Dune Secretly Revealed House Atreides' Key Weakness: How It Impacts Part 2
The design of Baron Harkonnen didn’t fall into place until costume designer Jaqueline West came with a few suggestions. As it turned out, though, West had refused to work on Dune two times before one of the producers convinced her to sit down with Villeneuve. West was already one of the most prolific costume designers in the industry. She had three Oscar nominations in her pocket, from The Revenant, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and Quills. Still, she reportedly felt that Dune was out of her element. West was famous for her work on period films, but had little experience with sci-fi and fantasy — which was why Villeneuve wanted her to work on Dune’s costume
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