A major casting announcement has been made forDune: Part Three, teasing that the upcomingDune Messiahadaptation may be lifting one ofDune: Part Two’s most significant adaptational changes. Anya Taylor-Joy made herDunedebut inDune: Part Two, whereshe played an older version of Alia Atreides, a role that she will reprise in the upcoming sequel.
WhileAnya Taylor-Joy’s appearance inDune: Part Twowas fun, someDunefans found it odd, as the character hadn’t been born yet. In theDunebook series, Alia stays a child for a while after she is born. So,Dune: Part Twohad to find a unique way to age up Alia for her appearance at the end of the film.
Denis Villeneuve added an extra premonition toDune: Part Two, one where Paul Atreides sees the older version of Alia. In the vision,the Anya Taylor-Joy characteris seen on an Arrakis that is filled with water, pushing Paul into the future of his plan.
Paul’s Children In Dune 3 Could Be Copying Dune 2’s Alia Atreides Change
Paul Could See Them In A Vision
Dune: Part Two’s Alia change may be odd, but it could already explain the mystery surrounding thisDune: Part Threecasting announcement. It has been revealed thatNakoa-Wolf Momoa and Ida Brooke will play Paul and Chani’s childrenin the third film, with them playing Leto II and Ghanima respectively.
However, the odd thing has to do with the actor’s ages. Both actors are around 16 years old, which is much older than Leto II and Ghanima are inDune Messiah. They are only just born in the film, meaning that they shouldn’t be 16 during the story thatDune: Part Threeis adapting.
One likely explanation for this casting is thatPaul could have another premonition, one that shows older versions of his kids. Leto II and Ghanima may still be played by young children throughout most ofDune: Part Three, with these actors only appearing in glimpses of the future.
Other Explanations For Paul’s Kids Being So Much Older In Dune 3
Could Dune 3 Adapt Children Of Dune?
While the premonition theory seems likely, there are other explanations for Paul’s kids being older than they should be inDune: Part Three. One possibility is that the third movie could also adaptChildren of Dune. The kids are older in thisDunebook, and since this is Villeneuve’s lastDunemovie, he may want to tackle both.
Syfy’sFrank Herbert’s Children of Duneserieswas already an adaptation ofDune MessiahandChildren of Dune, so there is precedent for the stories to be combined in adaptation. While the characters could always just be aged up forDune: Part Three, both of these theories seem more likely based on the franchise’s past.
