"Dune: Part Two" Adds Anya Taylor-Joy in Surprise Casting

American-Argentine-British actress Anya Taylor-Joy has joined the star-studded cast of Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune: Part Two”.

Taylor-Joy joins a list of newcomers that includes Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Léa Seydoux, Souheila Yacoub, Christopher Walken, and Tim Blake Nelson. 

Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya lead the sequel, with Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Dave Bautista, Javier Bardem Stellan Skarsgård, and Charlotte Rampling also returning.

Prior to the sequel’s world premiere in London on Thursday, rumors began recirculating online that Taylor-Joy is playing a role in the pic. Fans also noticed that Letterboxd featured “Dune: Part Two” among the list of movies starring the actress. Given details of Taylor-Joy’s role are under wraps, the credit has since been removed.

To top it all off, the Emmy-nominated and SAG- and Golden Globe-winning actress made a shock appearance at the premiere, posing on the sand duned red carpet in Leicester Square with her cast members.

The new movie picks up with Paul Atreides (Chalamet) as he unites with Chani (Zendaya) and the Fremen while seeking revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. 

Villeneuve penned the script and produced alongside Mary Parent, Cale Boyter, Tanya Lapointe, and Patrick McCormick. Josh Grode, Herbert W. Gains, Brian Herbert, Byron Merritt, Kim Herbert, Thomas Tull, Jon Spaihts, Richard P. Rubinstein, and John Harrison exec produced, with Kevin J. Anderson as creative consultant. 

While the movie was originally slated for release on November 3rd, it was pushed to March 1st due to the impossibility of talent PR amidst last year’s double strike.

Taylor-Joy is nest known for turns in Netflix’s "The Queen’s Gambit", Robert Egger’s A24 pic "The Witch", and Searchlight’s "The Menu".

The actress most recently portrayed Princess Peach in "The Super Mario Bros. Movie", which was one of the big box office successes of 2023. 

Among other upcoming projects for her is Warner Bros’ "Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga", which has her portraying Imperator Furiosa. That pic from George Miller hits theaters on May 24.