The secret about Dune: Part Two is
now public knowledge, or rather, the significant revelation has emerged.
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| Anya Taylor-Joy JOE MAHER/GETTY IMAGES |
Thursday saw the confirmation of online rumors surrounding Anya Taylor-Joy’s undisclosed role in the Dune sequel, following her remarks in London about the highly anticipated sci-fi adventure during the star-studded Leicester Square premiere.
In footage posted to X.com, when Yinka Bokinni asked her about the reason for her attendance at the premiere, Taylor-Joy demurred, saying, “Yes, you’ll have to see the film.” She was then questioned about her feelings on joining the Dune universe, to which she responded, “This is a dream come true. The books are incredible, but with this cast and with Denis [Villeneuve], it doesn’t get any better than that.”
Following the pseudo-reveal,
Entertainment Weekly (EW) published excerpts from a recent interview with
Villeneuve on Friday. This interview took place when Taylor-Joy’s casting was
still a closely guarded secret.
“I cannot believe that we kept the secret that long,” the director
expressed to the magazine. “It required
so much work to keep that secret. Everybody signed with their blood.”
The online buzz this week began when Letterboxd added the film, scheduled for release on March 1, to Taylor-Joy’s filmography. Although the credit has since been removed from the website, a screenshot of this evidence has been widely shared.
What will remain a secret until the
movie’s wide release on March 1 is the famous character Anya Taylor-Joy will
portray in this adaptation of Frank Herbert’s classic epic novel series.
Speculation suggests she might play a key character, who is herself a
late-stage reveal to many of the story’s central characters.
Taylor-Joy had a breakout year in
2020 with her award-winning performance in the Netflix series The Queen’s
Gambit, the lead role in Emma, and an ensemble role in The New Mutants.
However, she had a relatively quiet 2023, with a single film credit as Princess
Peach in the animated The Super Mario Bros Movie.
Stars like Florence Pugh, Austin Butler, and Léa Seydoux have been added to the second half of Villeneuve’s Dune two-parter, which covers the first volume of five books Herbert wrote in the series, continued by his son after Herbert’s death. The returning powerhouse cast from Dune: Part One includes Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Josh Brolin, and several other stars.
Discussing the second installment
on Thursday, Taylor-Joy couldn’t help but praise her director: “[It’s] one of the best movies I’ve ever
seen in my entire life. Genuinely, Denis has killed it.”
Film critics have also been
effusive in their praise, likening the film to other beloved second
installments in franchises, such as The Empire Strikes Back and The Lord of the
Rings: The Two Towers. However, the franchise's new additions seem to be garnering
much of the acclaim.
The New York Times praised Austin
Butler's portrayal of Feyd Rautha, likening it to "an evil Balenciaga NoHo Hank," while Uproxx said he "is literally channeling a demon from hell."
Zendaya received major accolades as well, being called the "crux" of the sequel. Villeneuve was
also lauded for his vision, with online critic Brandon Davis writing that
"the visuals in Dune: Part Two had
me so astonished, I feel like I understand how everyone felt seeing Star Wars
for the first time back in 1977."
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