Anya Taylor-Joy, most well-known for her roles in Emma and The Menu, attended the world premiere of Dune: Part Two in London. This confirmed what fans were already speculating, she has a role in the upcoming film. It may seem odd to keep such a popular starlet in the dark, but writer and director Denis Villeneuve had his reasons. 

He told The Hollywood Reporter, “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,” he said, “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.”

According to Inverse, “In Dune: Part Two, Anya Taylor-Joy plays Alia Atreides, Paul’s sister and Jessica’s daughter. Although she is literally in the womb the entire movie and never speaks her own name, Taylor-Joy is playing Alia.” Given this role description, it will be interesting to see how much Taylor-Joy’s face actually appears on screen. 

The Dune franchise seems to be a magnet for young stars. The first film starred Timothee Chalamet and Zendaya, who will both be reprising their roles in part two. In addition, Dune: Part Two will introduce franchise newcomers Florence Pugh, who is best known for her role in Midsommar and her Oscar-nominated role in Little Women, which Chalamet also starred in, as well as Austin Butler, who is best known for his Oscar-nominated role in Elvis. Pugh will play Princess Irulan and Butler will play Feyd-Rautha.

Dune: Part Two will have a wide release this Friday, March 1st, 2024.