I Guess We Can Talk About Anya Taylor-Joy in ‘Dune: Part Two’ Now

Brian Welk
·2-min read

We really didn’t want to go there, but it looks like the cat is out of the bag. “Dune: Part Two” has a surprise cameo, one IndieWire aimed to keep to itself until the general public had a chance to watch the film on March 1. Well, that ship has sailed.

So yes, Anya Taylor-Joy, “The Queen’s Gambit” and “The Witch” star, is in “Dune: Part 2.” She co-stars alongside Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Javier Bardem, Florence Pugh, Dave Bautista, Austin Butler, Josh Brolin, Christopher Walken, and Stellan Skarsgård.

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Taylor-Joy’s performance was publicly reported by at least one Hollywood trade after the actress walked the red carpet for the Thursday “Dune: Part Two” premiere in London, decked out in an Arrakis-appropriate outfit (check out Zendaya’s fit). Press, including IndieWire, had previously screened the film and were aware of Taylor-Joy’s part — but we’re not out to ruin your good time. Plus, the review embargo (still) has not lifted.

“I cannot believe that we kept the secret that long,” director Denis Villeneuve told EW. “It required so much work to keep that secret…Everybody signed with their blood.”

That didn’t keep it from reaching the rumor mill ahead of Taylor-Joy’s London appearance. Screenshots on Letterboxd showing Taylor-Joy’s filmography conspicuously included “Dune: Part Two” among them. Whoops.

Taylor-Joy’s role in “Dune: Part Two” is little more than a cameo. We won’t spoil whom she’s meant to play, though that piece is not hard to find either. Still, it lends hope Taylor-Joy will appear in a more substantial role in a third “Dune” movie; “Dune: Part Three” has not yet been confirmed, but Villeneuve said back in December it has a nearly completed script.

To be clear, Taylor-Joy didn’t ruin the surprise. In a live-streamed interview on the London red carpet, the actress simply said “you’ll have to see the film” before she would reveal why she’s there. It’s not entirely unusual for stars to walk the red carpet at other people’s premieres. Taylor-Joy added: “This is probably one of the best movies I’ve ever seen in my entire life.”

With the news now out there, Taylor-Joy gave this quote to EW: “This is a dream come true. The books are incredible, but with this cast and with Denis, it doesn’t get any better than that.”

“Dune: Part Two” is Villeneuve’s follow-up to the 2021 sci-fi adaptation of Frank Herbert’s classic novel.

Taylor-Joy is next starring in “Furiosa,” the prequel to “Mad Max: Fury Road,” in the role made famous by Charlize Theron. That film opens May 24, and you can watch its trailer here.

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