Dune finally hit cinemas this week and fans of the franchise have been excited to see how the Frank Herbert novel has been adapted. Previously, the evildoer Vladimir Harkonnen ​has been played by Kenneth McMillan. This time around he is being portrayed by Stellan Skarsgard – but not everything is the same.

Skarsgard recently revealed, after reading the script for his character, he was a little shocked.

He said: “My first reaction was: ‘This is not much.'”

Director Villeneuve stripped down the Baron’s scenes from the book, giving him a more imposing presence when he does appear on the screen.

This is vastly different to the Baron’s presence in the novel which ​frequently shows ​him monologuing about his evil deeds before he carries them out.

Villeneuve explained: “I cut out most of the speech of the Baron. I wanted him to be a man of few words.” (Via LA Times)

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Villeneuve explained that an enemy who keeps his cards close to his chest was more of a threat.

He also changed the original plotline that involved the Baron sexually abusing young enslaved boys.

He said: “I just felt that this was an idea that was a bit clichéd and didn’t age very well.”

Villeneuve explained he tried to “stay away” from the previous version of Dune.

He said: “I never had the chance to talk to Mr Lynch. I would love to. I don’t think he’d be interested to talk about Dune though. I don’t think he had a positive experience.

“He’s a master ​-​ one of the best filmmakers of all time ​-​ and I have massive respect for him, even though I wanted to bring a different sensibility to my version.

“I tried to stay away from anything that was linked with the Lynch movie.” (Via NME)

Villeneuve has also batted away claims that Dune boasts a “white saviour” trope, with Paul (Timothée Chalamet) taking over Arrakis as its messiah.

Speaking to The Times, he said: “It’s not a glorification [of the white saviour story] but a critique.”

He posited that Star Wars, which is hugely inspired by Dune, moved away from the “deconstruction of these myths that is in the very DNA of Dune”.

He added: “It has created a gap, and I wanted Dune itself to fill it.”

Dune is in cinemas now.

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