Anya Taylor-Joy Recalls Being Cast in DUNE: PART II and How That Came Together
As you know, Anya Taylor-Joy made a surprise appearance in Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two as the grown-up version of Paul Atreides’ unborn sister, Alia.
During a recent interview with Variety, Taylor-Joy talked about her experience with being cast in the movie and how it all came together. At one point, she was practically begging to be in the movie.
She initially wanted to have a bigger part in the movie; but Taylor-Joy was also filming Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga around the time.
The actress recalled: “Before I even sat down, he was like, ‘I want you to be in Dune, but you can’t do it!’ I was like, ‘Please?’ I skipped all the stages of grief and went straight to begging I was like, ‘I can do this. I can be in Australia and Abu Dhabi at the same time.’ He wanted me to be part of the universe. We kept in touch. I just had this feeling that it wasn’t over.”
While Furiosa and Dune: Part Two were shooting concurrently, Taylor-Joy kept asking her agents to try to get her a role in Villeneuve’s movie.
When she got back to Los Angeles, Taylor-Joy said she got a call from Villeneuve, and she said: “He said, ‘I made a deal with the studio: If I was on budget and on time, I could [put you in the movie.’”
Villeneuve talked about casting the actress, saying: “Anya was Alia as soon as I met with her. In fact, I realized after the fact, she has always been Alia. Anya feels out of this world, as though she belongs to some other dimension, one step into the dream.”
As for whether she’ll return as Alia in another Dune movie, Taylor-Joy said, “I hope so.” Villeneuve added, “Shooting with Anya in Africa was nothing short of magical. Her generosity, candor, and passion truly moved me. I can’t wait to go back on Arrakis with her.”
I think it’s safe to say that Taylor-Joy will return for Dune: Messiah, which Villeneuve will eventually get around to making.
Dune: Part Two is currently available to rent or purchase on Apple TV+ and Amazon Prime Video. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, meanwhile, releases in United States theaters on May 24, 2024.