Warning: Spoilers For Anya Taylor-Joy's Dune 2 Role Below

Summary

• Anya Taylor-Joy's casting in Dune: Part Two was kept secret as an experiment to surprise viewers and avoid Hollywood gossip.
• Alia Atreides, played by Taylor-Joy, has a unique backstory as Paul's sister and a "pre-born" character with a developed personality before birth.
• Taylor-Joy s a stacked cast for Dune: Part Two, including Zendaya, Florence Pugh, Austin Butler, and Josh Brolin.

Dune: Part Two’s Denis Villeneuve explains why the casting of Anya Taylor-Joy was kept secret. The wait for the sci-fi follow-up film is almost over as Dune 2 is set for release this Friday, March 1. In addition to the recently-announced Taylor-Joy, Dune: Part Two features a leading cast of Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Christopher Walken, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Dave Bautista, Josh Brolin, and Javier Bardem.

Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Villeneuve details why he waited to reveal Taylor-Joy’s casting in Dune: Part Two. Because of the “gossipy” nature of Hollywood, Villeneuve and the Dune: Part Two team wanted to hide Taylor-Joy’s casting almost “as an experiment.” Villeneuve likened this behavior to “a gift [he] wanted to keep for the fans.” Check out the full quote from Villeneuve below:

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.

Anya Taylor-Joy’s Dune: Part Two Character Explained

Taylor-Joy plays Alia Atreides in Dune: Part Two. While Alia is a prominent character in the Frank Herbert novels, the role of the character in Dune: Part Two seemed dubious for a while as well. An early report even hinted at a change from Alia’s character from the books to the movie, though at the time it did not mention who was playing Alia. This mysteriousness was likely connected to the hiding of Taylor-Joy in the film, as the Dune: Part Two team wanted to keep the actor’s role secret.

Alia Atreides is the sister of Chalamet's Paul. Alia has unique origins, as she was conceived as the daughter of Lady Jessica and Duke Leto Atreides, who died eight months before she was born. Additionally, Alia was in the womb when her mother Lady Jessica consumed the Water of Life. This renders Alia to be what is called “pre-born,” meaning that she is sentient and has a personality developed before birth.

Including Taylor-Joy in the Dune: Part Two cast is incredibly exciting. The film is populated by standout young stars, including Chalamet, Zendaya, Butler, Pugh, and Taylor-Joy herself. The once-hidden actress’ inclusion as Alia Atreides in Dune: Part Two should indeed be a “gift” to audiences.

Source: THR