The role of Anya Taylor-Joy in Dune: Part Two is brief, but important. We’re talking about it for those who have already seen the film (or who don’t want to be surprised). Warning, spoilers.
In addition to carrying a successful film from A to Z, the cast of Dune: Part 2 is exceptional — between Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Florence Pugh, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Austin Butler. But another actress was announced at the last minute: Anya Taylor-Joy. Her role was then kept secret (she does not appear in any trailer or promotional image). And for good reason, its appearance, even rapid, is important and foreshadows Dune 3.
Warning: spoilers on Dune 2.
Who is Paul’s sister, played by Anya Taylor-Joy in Dune 2?
As in Frank Herbert’s work, Paul’s mother, Lady Jessica, is pregnant (by the late Duke Leto Atreides) during this part of the story. She carries Paul’s sister within her: she is none other than Alia Atreides. But let’s remember that Lady Jessica is not a human like the others: belonging to the order of the Bene Gesserit, her psychic powers are increased tenfold. Is this enough to explain the constant dialogue with the child she is carrying?
The real reason is the “agony of spice”. As Lady Jessica is pregnant during this ritual during which she absorbs the Water of Life, her child is affected as well. Paul’s sister becomes a “pre-born”: a person who accesses Second Memory before birth – the famous collective, shared memory of the Bene Gesserit.
Unlike David Lynch’s feature film (where Alicia Witt played her as a child), she was not born during Denis Villeneuve’s. On the other hand, while Paul develops his gift of prescience, Alia appears to him in the guise of Anya Taylor-Joy: it is a vision of the future, a communication through time.
Although his appearance is very furtive in the film, the character is important, and needs to develop. If Dune 3 ends up seeing the light of day, as Denis Villeneuve wishes, then it will be an adaptation of Messiah of Dune. In this sequel, Alia grew up. The return of Anya Taylor-Joy is therefore assured in the next feature film, with a main role this time. Because receiving the Second Memory is not without effects, and it could endanger the entire Empire, henceforth in the hands of Paul.
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