Austin Butler has revealed the Dune: Part Two set was so hot that people passed out from heatstroke.

The Elvis actor, who plays villain Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, has revealed the harsh conditions he had to contend when he filmed a gladiator fight scene in his first week on the sequel, which is set on the desert planet Arrakis.

“It was 110 degrees and so hot,” Butler recalled in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. “I had the bald cap on, and it was between two soundstages that were just these grey boxes of 200-foot walls and sand. It became like a microwave. There were people passing out from heatstroke. And that was just my first week.”

Finding a silver lining in the situation, the Oscar-nominated actor added, “It really bonds the entire crew. There’s something so humbling about being in such an uncomfortable environment.”

Director Denis Villeneuve originally hoped to shoot both parts of Dune back to back, however, he is grateful that there was ultimately a break between the 2021 film and its sequel.

“Both movies were made in very harsh conditions, and it’s very physically taxing, so to have a break in between them was a blessing,” he explained. “My first thought was to shoot both movies back to back together, but now I think I would have died. It was really intense, and seeing how the world reacted to Part One was a boost of positive energy to go back into the desert.”

Dune: Part Two, starring Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya, will be released in cinemas on 1 March.

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