Veteran director Denis Villeneuve is known far and wide for directing the iconic Dune franchise by releasing Dune: Part One and Part Two. Featuring iconic actress Anya Taylor-Joy in a cameo in Dune: Part Two, Villeneuve had to complete a certain condition to cast Taylor-Joy in the film.
With Warner Bros. Discovery’s backing, Villeneuve already had a tight schedule to match. During filming, however, the director made the impossible possible by finishing the project on time and getting Anya Taylor-Joy to star in the film!
Denis Villeneuve Made The Impossible Possible!
Directing two heavy-budget films with tons of CGI was already a difficult task. With veteran director Denis Villeneuve attached to the script, the director released Dune: Part One back in 2021 starring Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya.
During the filming of the second part, Villeneuve had an even bigger challenge. Continuing the story with the characters and furthering the lore of the storyline was indeed an already difficult task. But what made Villeneuve incredible is that he managed to do all of that on time, and get a cameo from Anya Taylor-Joy in the film!
As per a report in Variety, Villeneuve made a deal with WB that if he could finish shooting the film on time and under budget, he would be allowed to get a cameo from Anya Taylor-Joy. This was already a tough ordeal since Taylor-Joy was busy shooting Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.
Denis Villeneuve made a deal with Warner Bros.: if he delivers ‘DUNE: PART 2’ on budget and on time, he can feature Anya Taylor-Joy as Alia Atreides in the film, despite her simultaneous filming commitments for the studio’s ‘FURIOSA.’https://t.co/Ppx2ZCBUMc pic.twitter.com/bc5FR1OtfB
— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) May 7, 2024
And in the end, the director managed to hold up his end of the bargain. As a result, Taylor-Joy appeared in a cameo in the role of Alia Atreides in the film. During the interview, Villeneuve revealed why he wanted Taylor-Joy’s cameo so desperately in the film and how shooting it felt like magic!
Why Denis Villeneuve Wanted Anya Taylor-Joy’s Cameo!
As per the report by Variety, director Denis Villeneuve wrote in an e-mail that he needed Taylor-Joy’s cameo for one specific reason. Talking about the character of Alia Atreides, Villeneuve said that Anya Taylor-Joy became Alia Atreides the first time he met her!
“Anya was Alia as soon as I met with her. In fact, I realized after the fact, she has always been Alia. Anya feels out of this world, as though she belongs to some other dimension, one step into the dream.”
He further wrote in the mail,
“Shooting with Anya in Africa was nothing short of magical. Her generosity, candor and passion truly moved me. I can’t wait to go back on Arrakis with her.”
Well, the move certainly worked in favor of the director as Dune: Part Two received a rating of 8.7/10 on IMDB and a whopping 95% on Rotten Tomatoes. Starring Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, and a cameo from Anya Taylor-Joy, Dune: Part Two is available to rent on Apple TV+ in the U.S.
