All About Anya Taylor-Joy's SecretDuneCharacter — and How She Could Impact Future Installments

Mar. 15, 2025

Timothée Chalamet in Dune: Part Two; Anya Taylor-Joy at the film’s London premiere red carpet on Feb. 15, 2024.Photo:Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures; Samir Hussein/WireImage

Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures; Samir Hussein/WireImage

Spoiler alert: This article contains plot details from the new filmDune: Part Two.

Anya Taylor-Joyis a vision in thenewDunesequel, and her surprise character could play a major role in future installments.

The actress, 27, has about a minute of screen time inDune: Part Two, though her presence looms throughout the film. Her involvement in the film was revealed at the world premiere in London on Feb. 15,when Taylor-Joy walked the red carpet.

“Having seen it, this is probably one of the best movies I’ve seen in my entire life. Genuinely, Denis has killed it, it’s incredible,” shesaidduring the event’s livestream. “This is a dream come true. The books are incredible but with this cast and with Denis, it doesn’t get any better than that.”

Timothée Chalamet in “Dune: Part Two”.Warner Bros.

Warner Bros.

She’s the grown-up version of his sister Alia, who, in this film, hasn’t been born yet but speaks to their pregnant mother, Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), while in the womb. Her dad is also Duke Leto Atreides (Oscar Isaac), who was killed in 2021’sDune.

In the brief vision midway through the film, Taylor-Joy’s Alia is shown walking a sandy desert, then telling her brother she loves him as he continues to fulfill a prophecy.

Director Denis Villeneuve, who is adapting the films from author Frank Herbert’s novels from the 1960s, toldThe Hollywood Reporterwhy he kept Taylor-Joy’s casting a secret so long.

“I think that Hollywood is the most gossipy town on earth, and I wanted, as an experiment, to see how long we could keep a secret. We did it. It was a special unit, we went to Africa to shoot with Anya under super-secrecy. I just loved the idea to keep something a surprise for the audience until the very end. It was like a gift I wanted to keep for the fans.”

Rebecca Ferguson in “Dune: Part Two”.Warner Media

Warner Media

In the book series, Alia is given special abilities even before her birth: Because her mom Lady Jessica completed a risky ritual of drinking the Water of Life to become Reverend Mother while pregnant, the effects transferred to Alia too.

Herbert wrote six Dune books:Dune,Dune Messiah,Children of Dune, God Emperor of Dune, Heretics of DuneandChapterhouse: Dune.

Esquirepoints out that the character becomes known as “Saint Alia of the Knife” in the books — and she’s the one who kills Baron Harkonnen. In theDune: Part Twomovie, Paul instead is the one to stab Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård) to death.

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Who played Alia in the 1984Dunefilm from director David Lynch? It was ayoung Alicia Witt, who recently looked back on her debut role.

For fans looking for more Taylor-Joy and desert settings, the wait isn’t long: She takes the lead in theupcomingFuriosa: A Mad Max Saga, in theaters May 24.

Dune: Part Twois in theaters now.

source: people.com