Here's Why Anya Taylor Joy's Role In Dune: Part Two Was Kept Under Wraps

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posted on 7 months ago — updated on 1 second ago

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Director Denis Villeneuve's decision to keep Taylor-Joy's casting a secret until the last minute was intentional. He said he loved the idea of keeping something a surprise for the audiences.

Actor Anya Taylor-Joy made a surprising appearance on the red carpet for Dune: Part Two, confirming long-standing rumours of her casting in the highly anticipated project. Director Denis Villeneuve’s decision to keep Taylor-Joy’s casting a secret until the last minute was intentional, as he revealed in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. Villeneuve described it as an experiment to test Hollywood’s gossip-driven nature and see how long the secret could be kept. “We did it. It was a special unit, we went to Africa to shoot with Anya under super-secrecy. I just loved the idea of keeping something a surprise for the audience until the very end; it was like a gift I wanted to keep for the fans,” Villeneuve confirmed to the portal.

Although Taylor-Joy’s role in Dune: Part Two may be brief, essentially serving as an uncredited cameo, her character’s significance in the overall mythology of Dune will be more pronounced in future installments. Villeneuve has expressed interest in adapting the second Frank Herbert book, Dune Messiah, into a movie, which would give Taylor-Joy’s character a more substantial role. However, he shared that he isn’t rushing to bring that project to life.

“There is absolutely a desire to have a third one, but I don’t want to rush it. The danger in Hollywood is that people get excited and only think about release dates, not quality,” Villeneuve explained to The Times of London.

The first part of this saga, Dune: Part One released in October 2021 and narrates the story of a young man, Paul Atreides (played by Timothee Chalamet), who is destined for greatness yet is unaware of the monumental destiny that awaits him. He takes on a journey to the most dangerous planet in the universe.

Dune: Part Two, according to its official website, will explore the 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. It is set to hit theaters on March 1st.

Dune: Part Two includes Zendaya, Timothee Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Florence Pugh, Austin Butler, Dave Bautista, Christopher Walken, Stephen McKinley Henderson, and Lea Seydoux, with Stellan Skarsgård, Charlotte Rampling, and Javier Bardem. Denis Villeneuve directed from a screenplay he co-wrote with Jon Spaihts based on Frank Herbert’s iconic novel.