“The first day Anya stepped on set,” Chalamet recalled, “just visually, it was breathtaking”
Credit: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic; DANIEL LEAL/AFP via Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- Timothée Chalamet praised Anya Taylor-Joy, his costar in the upcoming Dune: Part Three, at a July 8 trailer reveal event
- “She’s actually terrifying and amazing,” he said with a smile
- Taylor-Joy and Chalamet play Alia and Paul Atreides, respectively, in Denis Villeneuve’s third and final Dune film
Anya Taylor-Joy wowed Timothée Chalamet on the set of Dune: Part Three.
Surprising fans ahead of the upcoming conclusion to the Dune trilogy (in theaters Dec. 18) at a July 8 Global IMAX Fan Event unveiling the film’s new trailer in Los Angeles, Chalamet, 30, was asked about working with Taylor-Joy, also 30, following her brief cameo in 2024’s Dune: Part Two.
“Anya is something special in this movie,” said the Oscar nominee, adding that he “didn’t really get to work with her on the second one.”
Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures
In the middle of writer-director Denis Villeneuve’s three adaptations of Frank Herbert’s novels, Taylor-Joy appeared in a vision as Alia Atreides, sister to Chalamet’s newly crowned Emperor Paul Atreides.
Both characters, who live on the desert planet Arrakis, are the children of Lady Jessica (played by Rebecca Ferguson) and Duke Leto (played in 2021’s Dune: Part One by Oscar Isaac).
Shouting out Villeneuve’s direction and Linus Sandgren’s cinematography, Chalamet recalled “the first day Anya stepped on set,” saying, “just visually, it was breathtaking.”
The British-American actress is “unbelievable in this movie,” added Chalamet with a grin. “That’s not media hyperbole. She’s actually terrifying and amazing.”
Credit: Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures
Robert Pattinson also joins the Dune installment as Scytale, a major role in Part Three. Chalamet, who previously worked with the British star on 2019 historical drama The King, called him “fantastic,” saying, “I knew how good he was.”
Where do these characters, as well as Zendaya‘s Chani, Javier Bardem‘s Stilgar and Florence Pugh‘s Princess Irulan, fit into Paul’s journey as an intergalactic emperor? “The clues are in the book,” teased Chalamet. While the first two movies were adapted from Herbert’s 1965 debut novel, the conclusion draws from 1969’s Dune Messiah.
“Frank Herbert and Denis hopefully painted a nuanced picture,” added the Marty Supreme star, “a warning tale to beware charismatic leaders. I think the proof is in the pudding. It had little to do with me.”
“The spice pudding,” quipped Villeneuve, referencing the all-powerful substance in the world of Dune. “Spice pudding, exactly,” responded Chalamet with a laugh.
Credit: David Jon/Getty
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Dune: Part Three is in theaters Dec. 18.
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