DUNE Director Denis Villeneuve Says Anya Taylor-Joy's Alia Atreides Will Have A Much Bigger Role In MESSIAH

DUNE Director Denis Villeneuve Says Anya Taylor-Joy's Alia Atreides Will Have A Much Bigger Role In MESSIAH

After being introduced via premonition in the last movie, Denis Villeneuve has confirmed that Alia Atreides (Anya Taylor-Joy) will return for a much bigger role in Dune: Messiah...

By MarkCassidy - Sep 15, 2024 08:09 PM EST
Filed Under: Dune
Source: Via SFF Gazette

Dune: Part Two director Denis Villeneuve recently shared a positive update on Warner Bros.' plans for a third movie, confirming that the script for an adaptation of Dune: Messiah is officially in the works.

Though the filmmaker hasn't full committed to helming the project, we'd be very surprised if he didn't return to finish his take on this saga - although, if and when he does, he won't actually consider it a trilogy.

“First, it’s important that people understand that for me, it was really a diptych,” Villeneuve says of the first two movies during an interview with Vanity Fair. “It was really a pair of movies that will be the adaptation of the first book. That’s done and that’s finished. If I do a third one, which is in the writing process, it’s not like a trilogy. It’s strange to say that, but if I go back there, it’s to do something that feels different and has its own identity.”

Villeneuve also confirmed that Anya Taylor-Joy will have a much bigger role as Alia Atreides following her brief cameo in the last movie.

In Part One, we learn that Paul Atreides' mother, the Bene Gesserit Lady Jessica, is pregnant with the late Duke Leto's child. When the Fremen take in the survivors of the Harkonnen massacre, Jessica agrees to become the tribe's new Reverend Mother (she isn't really given a choice) and is "persuaded" to drink the Water of Life (a blue substance that's been extracted from a juvenile sandworm).

This gives Jessica incredible foresight and knowledge of previous generations, while also awakening similar abilities in her unborn daughter, who begins to communicate with and seemingly influence her mother's actions.

When Paul ingests the same liquid later on in the movie, he sees a vision of his now grown sister Alia (Taylor-Joy) standing by an ocean on Arrakis. She tells her brother that she loves him and is waiting for him. 

If you've read Frank Herbert's novel, you'll know how important Alia is to the story.

Dune: Part Two is now available on 4K UHD Blu-ray.

"Those hoping for blockbuster escapism might find themselves shook by this faithful, at times borderline depressing adaptation," we said in our review. "But Dune Part Two is Sci-fi spectacle at its finest and most audacious, as Villeneuve builds-upon and possibly surpasses (opinions will vary) his previous film with aplomb."

The saga continues as award-winning filmmaker Denis Villeneuve embarks on Dune: Part Two, the next chapter of Frank Herbert’s celebrated novel Dune, with an expanded all-star international ensemble cast. The film, from Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures, is the highly anticipated follow-up to 2021’s six-time Academy Award-winning Dune. 

The big-screen epic continues the adaptation of Frank Herbert’s acclaimed bestseller Dune with returning and new stars, including Oscar nominee Timothée Chalamet (Wonka, Call Me by Your Name), Zendaya (Spider-Man: No Way Home, Malcolm & Marie, Euphoria), Rebecca Ferguson (Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning), Oscar nominee Josh Brolin (Avengers: Endgame, Milk), Oscar nominee Austin Butler (Elvis, Once Upon A Time…In Hollywood), Oscar nominee Florence Pugh (Black Widow, Little Women), Dave Bautista (Guardians of the Galaxy, Thor: Love and Thunder), Oscar winner Christopher Walken (The Deer Hunter,), Stephen McKinley Henderson (Fences), Léa Seydoux (James Bond, Crimes of the Future), with Stellan Skarsgård (Avengers: Age of Ultron), Oscar nominee Charlotte Rampling (45 Years, Assassin’s Creed), and Oscar winner Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men, Being the Ricardos).

Dune: Part Two will explore the mythic journey of Paul Atreides as he unites with Chani and the Fremen while on a warpath of revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the known universe, he endeavors to prevent a terrible future only he can foresee.

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harryba11zack
harryba11zack - 9/15/2024, 8:46 PM
....yeah no shit
Forthas
Forthas - 9/15/2024, 8:58 PM
So excited for this. Making a film better or even equal to Dune Part 2 will be a huge effort. Even if he is close given the material going forward it will be epic. I think he should be given more leeway to stray from the books.
McMurdo
McMurdo - 9/16/2024, 12:35 AM
@Forthas - he already did that with Dune 1.
Forthas
Forthas - 9/16/2024, 1:24 AM
@McMurdo - yeah...I think he should take even more liberties than he did with the first book. I don't think the deviations were that huge.
The1st
The1st - 9/16/2024, 7:42 AM
@Forthas - I'm inclined to agree. The guys been passionate about the books, it's his literal passion project, and he has told 2 good stories thus far in the adaptations. I understand his comments, and am glad he's not just doing the "there must be a trilogy trap" Hollywood craves for big IPs. Each one is its own story and should be treated as such, they should be able to stand on there own and not just be a continuation to set up the next thing. Of course there will be a third, and I'm looking forward to it. He's always been a good filmmaker imo, but these movies have felt special. The 2nd especially.

?si=qhq1UcsDggx8qsyU
TheNewYorker
TheNewYorker - 9/15/2024, 9:13 PM
I can’t stand her, but I suppose she’s a good actress. Looking forward to a 3rd film. They’ve been great thus far.
Antitrollpatrol
Antitrollpatrol - 9/15/2024, 9:17 PM
@MarkCassidy what do you think of the govee lights? Part of me thinks it'd be distracting with lights in the background and the camera looking at the screen.
WhatIfRickJames
WhatIfRickJames - 9/16/2024, 2:44 AM
@Antitrollpatrol - I love mine. Had them for a few years now. I don’t even notice the camera
MarkCassidy
MarkCassidy - 9/16/2024, 7:53 AM
@Antitrollpatrol - I did at first, but I got used to it pretty quickly. I think it definitely adds to the experience of watching a film like Dune... not sure I'd bother with something less cinematic.
DocSpock
DocSpock - 9/15/2024, 9:49 PM

After the second movie, I am very amped to see the next one.

dracula
dracula - 9/15/2024, 9:59 PM
Although why will she look around the same age as paul

In the book there is a big time jump during the 1st but they didnt do that and they arent recasting paul
dracula
dracula - 9/15/2024, 10:00 PM
Hope Dennis at least does Children of Dune

Finish Paul’s story before passing it off to someone else
dragon316
dragon316 - 9/15/2024, 10:12 PM
Didn’t know she was in it
DrDReturns
DrDReturns - 9/15/2024, 10:32 PM
Don't care anything about this. Don't want to.
Just saying Anya Taylor-Joy is gorgeous!
McMurdo
McMurdo - 9/16/2024, 12:36 AM
How does this make any sense. Does Paul just not age? She's like 18 MINIMUM in that scene in Dune 2. is the excuse just that spice keeps Paul young or what? Cuz they ain't aging up Timothy and they are both gonna look the exact same age.
Usernametaken
Usernametaken - 9/16/2024, 5:56 AM
@McMurdo - who said timothy is coming back?
McMurdo
McMurdo - 9/16/2024, 10:13 AM
@Usernametaken - durrrrr
valmic
valmic - 9/16/2024, 1:57 AM
?si=odLBwpj0UNuPmRee
FusionWarrior
FusionWarrior - 9/16/2024, 5:41 AM
Well duh
WarMonkey
WarMonkey - 9/16/2024, 7:44 AM
By not having Alia in the story already before the Baron dies and all the changes to Chani and not introducing the Spacing Guild he pretty much already screwed up the entire story moving forward. I don't see how they can make it interesting now.

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