Editor's Note: This article contains mild spoilers for Dune: Part Two.

The Big Picture

  • The Queen's Gambit star Anya Taylor-Joy is confirmed to appear in Dune: Part Two.
  • Director Denis Villeneuve has plans for the future of the Dune franchise, but will take some time before diving into the next project.
  • Dune: Part Two hits theaters on March 1.

Move over Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya, there’s a new rising star to share the spotlight with in Dune: Part Two as it’s been revealed that Anya Taylor-Joy will be appearing in the sequel after all. The online fan community has been buzzing with speculation that The Queen’s Gambit alum will appear in Denis Villeneuve’s follow-up film to his 2021 epic and a trade source has confirmed the spoiler. Taylor-Joy’s appearance in a couture dress at the London premiere, where she gleefully took to the sand-covered red carpet alongside her cast mates including Austin Butler and Florence Pugh, solidified the rumors. Don’t worry, though, we won’t spoil which character she’s playing.

The film’s London premiere marks a milestone for the project, which has been highly anticipated since the first one arrived in theaters at the end of 2021. There’s a lot to look forward to in the next chapter as has been teased by the promotional campaign. As Paul Atreides (Chalamet) continues to live up to his Messiah-calling and fight alongside the Fremen, the Harkonnen continue their barrage of war and carnage. We’re especially looking forward to seeing Paul saddle a sandworm on the big screen and come to blows with Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen (Butler) in an epic battle that’s been teased both in trailers and interviews.

As everyone looks forward to Dune: Part Two already well knows by now, the casting team was really on top of their jobs for this one, signing on the biggest names in Hollywood left and right. Of course, it didn’t hurt that the success of the first installment was so massive that anyone asked to be a part of the production couldn’t help but answer with an enthusiastic “Yes!” That long list includes Dave Bautista, Josh Brolin, Rebecca Ferguson, Christopher Walken, Javier Bardem, Léa Seydoux, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Stellan Skarsgård, and more.

Anya Taylor-Joy’s Big Year at the Box Office

Along with her now-confirmed appearance in Dune: Part Two, Taylor-Joy will be a part of another magnificent action franchise when she kicks things into high gear with Chris Hemsworth in George Miller’s Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. The film will serve as a prequel to the 2015 feature Mad Max: Fury Road and will tell the origin story of the character made popular by Charlize Theron.Between the two high-octane projects, Taylor-Joy will only further stretch her wings, proving that she has genre-crossing talent.

Denis Villeneuve’s Vision For the Future of ‘Dune’

As Dune: Part Two rounds out the initial story that Villeneuve set out to tell, all eyes are on him for the future of the franchise. While he has already started to get the ball rolling on Frank Herbert’s second novel in the series, Dune: Messiah, he knows that — for the sake of the fandom and his own mental health — he needs to step away from the world of Arrakis for a bit to make way for new creative energy to flow.

Check out one of Dune: Part Two’s trailers below and hitch a ride on a sandworm to see it in theaters on March 1.

Dune Part Two Poster
Dune: Part Two
PG-13 Sci-FiDramaActionAdventure

Paul Atreides unites with Chani and the Fremen while seeking revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family.

Release Date
March 1, 2024
Director
Denis Villeneuve
Cast
Timothee Chalamet , Stellan Skarsgård , Florence Pugh , Zendaya , Rebecca Ferguson , Javier Bardem
Runtime
166 minutes
Main Genre
Sci-Fi
Writers
Frank Herbert , Jon Spaihts , Denis Villeneuve

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