Fans have analysed former professional wrestler Dave Bautista’s roles ever since he began acting in 2006. Although it was difficult for him to be taken seriously as an actor, Bautista took the chance, and it paid off when he was chosen to play Drax the Destroyer in Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” in 2014. Although he may soon be retiring that character, Bautista still has a lot of exciting ventures planned. This includes his part in the science fiction film “Dune” directed by Denis Villeneuve.
Frank Herbert’s 1965 sci-fi epic novel was adapted, but it took several years to complete because of the COVID-19 epidemic. Fans were excited to see how Villeneuve’s unique perspective brought the characters they had read about and seen in earlier adaptations to life. They were not let down: “Dune” provided the audience with a jaw-dropping spectacle, deep storytelling, and set pieces of incredible scale, allowing them to rediscover the Atreides’ tale. After appearing in “Blade Runner 2049,” Bautista had the opportunity to reunite with Villeneuve for “Dune,” taking on the role of the ominous and vicious Glossu “Beast” Rabban.
Who is Glossu Rabban?
A member of the Great House Harkonnen is Glossu Rabban. He is charged with leading the planet of Arrakis and overseeing the collection and manufacturing of spices for the Empire as Baron Harkonnen’s nephew, at least until his brother and preferred nephewFeyd-Rauthacan take command. Glossu Rabban is frequently portrayed in Frank Herbert’s books as a brute, the less intelligent and attractive equivalent of his younger brother, who is regarded as charming, intelligent, and even attractive. His family is recognised for their cunning, yet he is a vicious and harsh tyrant. The Baron is utilising Rabban in his plot to appear as a saviour when his true successor, Feyd-Rautha, assumes control of the world following his brother’s brutal rule.
The persona is sometimes referred to as King Cobra and Mudir Nahya (or Demon Ruler). His father, Abulurd Harkonnen, was murdered, garnering him the nickname Beast Rabban, which he prefers to use. Abulurd, Vladimir’s brother, was a morally upright and nonviolent guy who kept his distance from his family, the crafty and evil Great House Harkonnen. Unquestionably a vicious beast, Beast Rabban displays his brutality in several ways throughout Herbert’s works. But it might not be the best reading of the character to call him stupid. He continues to demonstrate that he comprehends Arrakis and its indigenous Fremen better than the rest of his family. Before the Siege of Arrakeen, for instance, when they occupied the city and reclaimed the planet from House Atreides, he cautions them not to underestimate the latter.
How was Dave Bautista cast?
After a rocky start in Hollywood, wrestler-turned-actor Dave Bautista has done well for himself since being cast in Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy.” In regards to “Dune,” Bautista was aware of the endeavour and kept tabs on it, as he claims in an interview with Collider. After working with Denis Villeneuve on the “Blade Runner 2049” sequel, he was particularly taken aback when the director personally called to offer him the role of Glossu Rabban.
He recalls receiving the phone call and being moved to tears by the offer in a video interview with Digital Spy. He had apparently been declining other opportunities in order to be available in case “Dune” required anything. When reading the script, Bautista was astounded by it and moved by Villeneuve’s expansive imagination, which he compared to James Gunn’s (and even hinted at his own directorial hopes).
Becoming a villain
If you always try to play a character who is trying to be terrifying, Dave Bautista says, “then he’s never terrifying.” Despite portraying a cruel and despotic character, his Beast Rabban performance is understated and somehow human. He says that typically, villains don’t think they are the bad guys in their own stories. The Harkonnens’ self-righteousness, selfishness, and abiding faith in their theories are ultimately what make them so scary that we can see them in humanity’s shortcomings.
Because the writing was short and not overwritten, Bautista claimed in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, it was simple to get into the character. The actor also discussed the idea of evil, saying, “Evil exists. There are individuals who are this vile, this avaricious, this driven by a desire for power, and who are prepared to act in such a heinous manner. It is about displaying the darkest aspects of humanity in a truthful manner. People can relate to this and identify these villains. Nothing should be overstated.
Transforming into Beast Rabban
Dave Bautista’s lengthy career as a wrestler in the WWE has given him an outstanding physique (6’4″ tall, wide, and rippling with muscles), which undoubtedly allowed him to portray Beast Rabban. Although Bautista, who was 53 years old at the time of publishing, is in amazing shape, he acknowledges that his wrestling career has changed the way he trains. Instead of making a conscious effort to look a certain way, training is now therapeutic for him.
Because he knew Denis Villeneuve would offer him a lot of direction for his performance and wanted to keep it as spontaneous and collaborative as possible, Bautista didn’t do any preparation for the role of Beast Rabban. During the makeup and costume fittings, they initially discussed the role, and Villeneuve reportedly advised Bautista to give himself some time to think about it.
Special mention to the makeup and costume design teams
Dave Bautista’s transition into Beast Rabban and Stellan Skarsg rd’s transformation into the Baron were both greatly influenced by the makeup and costume design teams for “Dune.” Even though those two departments were nominated for Academy Awards, they regrettably didn’t take home the trophy. Denis Villeneuve noted that Beast Rabban’s stark white skin and bulky black spacesuit are a result of their origins (via Entertainment Weekly):
“Geidi Prime, the Harkonnen planet, is one where the sun is obscured most of the time by heavy clouds of pollution. It’s an artificial world, it’s a world made out of plastic and cut off from nature. Their skin is not used to sun, so they have to protect themselves from sunlight when they go on Arrakis. Their armor is almost closer to an astronaut suit than anything else. I tried, for each tribe coming from different planets, to see how they would use their technology to try and adapt. The Harkonnens are brutal colonizers, brutal invaders, but they are still vulnerable to the environment.”
Previous on-screen depictions of Glossu Rabban
Both the big and small screens have previously seen “Dune” adaptations: David Lynch helmed the feature-length version in 1984, and a Sci-Fi Channel miniseries broadcast in 2000. In David Lynch’s adaptation, Beast Rabban is portrayed by actor Paul L. Smith, who shares the brilliant ginger hair of the other Harkonnen characters and wears a spacesuit that is somewhat reminiscent of Dave Bautista’s. But the way he behaves is considerably different; Smith’s Rabban is more of a fool than a beast, and he exaggerates the character’s stupid traits. Instead of being a terrifying monster, his version turns out to be a cartoonish, silly, and unpleasant one.
Swiss actor L szl I. Kish portrays the role in the three-part miniseries on The Sci-Fi channel. In this adaptation, Beast Rabban has red hair as well and is much less of a cartoonish villain. Even though he doesn’t get much screen time in that adaptation, Kish does a good job as Glossu Rabban, according to Beth Elderkin of Gizmodo.
How is Bautista’s Beast Rabban different?
Denis Villeneuve’s interpretation of the character in “Dune” distinguishes him from earlier representations through both his physical attributes and temperament. Villeneuve aimed to prevent the character from taking on a cartoonish and overdone tone similar to how Paul L. Smith and Kenneth McMillan as Baron Vladimir had handled the antagonists in their films.
Although the black spacesuits in the many adaptations are identical, Villeneuve’s design seems to have been given a lot more care. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, he discusses the suit’s helmet in particular and how it has an insectoid-like appearance: “We really emphasised on this idea that they are like predators because they are invaders and colonisers.” Insects have textures, so costume designer Jacqueline West said, “I utilised a lot of moulded black leather with insect motifs etched into the leather. The allusions were from ants, spiders, and scorpions. The Baron and Rabban both wear helmets that resemble ant heads.
Reunited with Denis Villeneuve
As was already mentioned, Dave Bautista and Denis Villeneuve have collaborated on projects before. The filmmaker cast the ex-wrestler in 2017’s sci-fi drama”Blade Runner 2049,”in the role of Sapper Morton. While the director initially thought Bautista was too young for the role, they got along very well, and the studio, as well as the actor, were eager for the casting. After a few screen tests and with the help of make-up artist Donald Mowat the role was Bautista’s, and the rest is history.
Bautistahas said that the role of Morton in “Blade Runner 2049” opened a lot of doors for him, and credits Villeneuve with helping him further his acting career. He loved working with the Canadian director, whom he described as devoted to his performance as Morton. His detail-oriented approach helped the actor understand the character better and elevate his performance, and he was thrilled to be able to work with him again for “Dune.”
What the role means to Dave Bautista
Other than being reunited with Denis Villeneuve, Dave Bautista was very excited and grateful for the role of Rabban in “Dune” as it cemented his place in Hollywood, in his eyes. Ashe told Collider: “Moments like that really gauge how far I’ve come, as an actor. There’s a lot of pride in it for me that a director like Denis would call like that and offer me a role in a film that I know is going to be enormous. Because people have been waiting for this for years and years and years. And people are so passionate about the novels. So for him to offer me such an integral part of this film, for me, it was a personal statement.”
While Bautista will forever be grateful for getting the breakout role of Drax in “Guardians of the Galaxy,” he was also afraid of being typecast as a muscle man or not perceived as a serious actor because of sillier roles. The role of Beast Rabban in “Dune” became another step for Bautista in showing off his acting chops in a new way. The sinister villain role isn’t one we had really seen from him yet, and he is happy to distance himself from his action-movie persona (viaConnectRadio).
