Dune: Part Two director Denis Villeneuve reveals the lengths that production took to keep Anya Taylor-Joy‘s secret role under wraps.
“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,” Villeneuve said to The Hollywood Reporter during the New York premiere of the upcoming Dune sequel. “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.”
Rumors of Taylor-Joy’s participation in Dune: Part Two have been swirling around for months until the star confirmed her casting during the world premiere in London. While Taylor-Joy’s is a spoiler-territory cameo, it will have a larger impact on Dune’s future as a movie franchise. As the next entry based on 1969’s Dune: Messiah is currently in the writing phase, Villeneuve wants to take some time away from the franchise until he can return with a fresh perspective.
“I don’t know exactly when I will go back to Arrakis,” Villeneuve said. “I might make a detour before just to go away from the sun. For my mental sanity, I might do something in between, but my dream would be to go a last time on this planet that I love.”
What is Dune: Part Two about?
Based on the classic 1965 novel by Frank Herbert, Dune: Part Two continues the story that began in Villeneuve’s 2021 adaption. The official synopsis reads as follows: “‘Dune: Part Two’ will explore the mythic journey of Paul Atreides as he unites with Chani and the Fremen while on a path of revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the known universe, he endeavors to prevent a terrible future only he can foresee.”
Directed by Villeneuve, Dune: Part Two stars Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya alongside Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Dave Bautista, Stellan Skarsgård, and Javier Bardem. New cast members for Dune: Part Two include Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Christopher Walken, Léa Seydoux, and Tim Blake Nelson.
Dune: Part Two is scheduled for release in theaters on March 1.
