Dune Director Promises an Expanded Role for Lady Jessica in Part Two
Dune: Part Two is being released in theaters later this year, and it is set to see the return of Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides, Zendaya as Chani, Josh Brolin as Gurney Halleck, Javier Bardem as Stilgar, and Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica in addition to some exciting newcomers like Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan, Austin Butler as Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, and Christopher Walker playing Emperor Shaddam IV. It was previously teased that the second film will even surprise book readers, so it's no shock to learn that director Denis Villeneuve wanted to make sure Lady Jessica played an important part in the sequel despite not being a major player in the second half of the book.
"Lady Jessica kind of disappears in the second part of the book, and I made sure as I was writing the screenplay to do the opposite, to make sure that she will be active, to bring her back to the front of the story," Villeneuve told Town and Country. "I'm looking forward for the world to see what Rebecca has accomplished. She's not afraid to go very far away. She's a force that I can count on."
"She loves to have fun," Villeneuve added of Ferguson. "It's important for her to enjoy the moment and to create a lightness, make jokes and make sure that everybody is comfortable. She wants you to feel secure."
"She's a mom protecting and training someone, something," Ferguson explained of Lady Jessica while being profiled by Town and Country. "I say something because she knows [she's dealing with] an entity bigger than themselves. When Paul starts going off, she begins losing power, and it puts her on an unpredicted journey to discover who we are in response to other people. That's when we find ourselves again."
"Running on the sand dunes... feeling so small on these incredible hills. How small we are compared to Mother Nature? I love it," Ferguson previously shared with Jake's Takes of the filming experience. "I'm gonna say, Part 2 is better than Part 1. And that's me without seeing it, that is me saying it based on what I've read, what I've seen, what I've filmed."
What Is Dune: Part Two About?
Dune: Part Two is described, "This follow-up film will explore the mythic journey of Paul Atreides as he unites with Chani and the Fremen while on a warpath 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."
Dune: Part Two is set to hit theaters on November 3rd.