Dune: Part Two is now playing in theaters, which means the inevitable leaks have begun to find their way online, and we now have a first glimpse of a certain character from Frank Herbert's saga that makes a brief appearance in the third act.
If you've already seen the movie, this obviously won't apply to you, but everyone else should be aware of major spoilers from this point on.
During the sci-fi sequel's world premiere a couple of weeks back, Anya Taylor-Joy showed up and confirmed recent rumors that she did indeed have a role in the film. The Furiosa star didn't reveal who she was playing, however.
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.
Check out the leaked shot of Alia Atreides below.
In a significant departure from the book, we don't actually see Jessica give birth and the preternaturally intelligent Alia emerge as an important character with a role to play in the final battle.
During a recent interview with EW, Villeneuve explained this decision.
"It came out of screenwriting discussions with Jon [Spaihts], when we were trying to figure out how to increase tension and create more momentum in the story. To put more pressure on Paul, we decided to compress time. We had this idea that we could create the feeling of the progression of time through Jessica's pregnancy. I thought this was really fresh and original to have a character who is pregnant and still a powerful woman, a central figure of the story. I don't remember having seen that, especially in a sci-fi movie, and it gave me the opportunity to develop ideas that were in the book. Having her talk to her fetus was a way to illustrate the power of the Water of Life, this substance that gives you access to the past lives of previous Reverend Mothers. It was a way to more precisely express how Alia becomes this abomination.”
Did you guess Taylor-Joy's role? Drop us a comment down below, and let us know if you're planning to see Dune: Part Two on the big screen.
"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.