Last week, we received news that Jason Momoa will once again play Duncan Idaho in the upcoming third Dune film, which is based on the second novel, Dune Messiah. Given that Denis Villeneuve’s Dune and Dune: Part Two have been fairly true to the original Frank Herbert book, this casting isn’t too unexpected. As the sequel starts to materialize, we can now ponder about Duncan’s storyline and potential alterations. However, there’s a significant aspect of his character development that might be challenging to portray on screen, but if changed, it would mark the most significant departure this series has seen, and it could have profound consequences for the narrative.
WARNING: There are spoilers ahead for Dune Messiah!
In Dune, we were first introduced to the desert world Arrakis and its valuable resource, Spice Melange, which grants faster-than-light space travel. The prequel series, Dune: Prophecy, expanded our galactic perspective by revealing more about the universe and its inhabitants. Among them are the technologically advanced Tleilaxu, skilled in genetic engineering and modification. It’s through their technology that Momoa’s character reappears in the main storyline.
Herbert’s second book in the series continues 12 years after the conclusion of the first, with Paul now ruling as emperor across the galaxy. Multiple human factions seek his favor, among them the Spacing Guild and the Tleilaxu. They offer him a ghola – essentially a clone created from Duncan Idaho’s genetic material – which Paul suspects is a trap, yet he struggles to resist the opportunity to be reunited with his former guide and confidant.
In the narrative, Hayt, who is not named Duncan and isn’t fully endowed with Duncan’s memories, exhibits a blurry resemblance to Duncan in terms of personality traits, skills, and allegiance. His identity is distinctly separate from Duncan’s; he is known as Hayt instead. Despite being an engaging character that enriches the story by exploring many of Dune’s prominent themes, there arises controversy concerning his connection with Paul’s sister, Alia, from House Atreides.
Hayt and Alia
In “Dune: Part Two”, Anya Taylor-Joy portrays Alia, a character who hasn’t been born when the story unfolds. Paul’s mother, Jessica, conceived Alia just before Paul’s father, Duke Leto, was slain. By the time she drank the Water of Life and transformed into a Reverend Mother, she was already pregnant with Alia. This transformation granted both Jessica and Alia access to their ancestral knowledge and wisdom from the female line, enabling them to communicate telepathically. In the novels, Alia is referred to as “pre-born”.
As I stepped back into the world twelve years later, Alia, though just a teenager, bore the wisdom and skills of an adult. Yet, she found herself at odds when her access to ancient knowledge didn’t shield her from the awkwardness of adolescence. In her quest for further enlightenment, she embarked on a personal journey towards Spice transformation, seeking even more foresight. During this time, Alia and Hayt kindled a romantic and intimate bond. Both found solace in each other as Alia navigated her identity, entangled as it was with inherited memories, while Hayt wrestled with his own identity vis-à-vis Duncan Idaho.
Age Gap Discourse
In a science fiction world filled with life extension, cloning, ancestral memories, and more, it doesn’t take long for age differences between characters to feel exaggerated. That being said, it’s important to acknowledge that the alterations made in this film adaptation significantly impact Alia’s character in ‘Dune Messiah’. Unlike in the original novel where Alia is born among the Fremen before the story reaches its climax and witnesses the final confrontation between Paul and Emperor Shaddam IV, the Alia in this movie is depicted as being present at these events even as a toddler. In this new portrayal, it’s a two or three-year-old Alia who takes the life of Baron Harkonnen.
In the sequel to Dune, titled Dune Messiah, we find that Alia has matured significantly over the past twelve years, making her approximately 14 or 15 years old when the story unfolds. Spanning two years, this novel sees Alia reaching an age of up to 17 during her romantic entanglement with Hayt. While this still presents a challenge for Jason Momoa, given his age, it is less unsettling than the portrayal of young Alia in the film adaptation, who should be between 11 and 14 at this point in the narrative.
Possible Solutions
Regardless of its portrayal, the relationship between Hayt and Alia may cause a few surprised glances, but it doesn’t necessarily mean it will be uncomfortable to watch. One possibility is that Villeneuve might elongate the time skip in his film, allowing Alia enough time to mature so that Taylor-Joy could still portray her role. If other characters appear not to have aged significantly, we can attribute this to the longevity-inducing properties of the Spice Melange.
In my perspective, it’s plausible that the films could effectively mask the age difference between Alia and Hayt by significantly altering Hayt’s physical appearance. Although he’ll be based on Duncan’s genetic makeup, his visage will likely be quite distinct – particularly with artificial eye implants. Additionally, makeup, prosthetics might be used to enhance this manufactured look, yet he should predominantly resemble flesh and bone, as robotic elements are strongly frowned upon in the Dune universe.
There’s a strong chance that the romantic aspect of the story could be minimized or even excluded in this sequel to Dune. Director Denis Villeneuve has frequently emphasized that Dune is essentially Paul’s journey into manhood, which might lead him to prioritize Paul’s character development over Alia’s. It remains unclear how this approach may influence the narrative and potential future installments such as the speculated Dune 4. Since there were six novels in Frank Herbert’s original Dune series, other filmmakers who are planning sequels to Villeneuve’s movies might prefer to keep various storylines open for their own adaptations.
To clarify, while there’s been recent speculation suggesting that production for the third Dune film has started, as of now, neither Warner Bros. nor Legendary have officially given the go-ahead. Last week, Deadline reported the movie might be moving into pre-production, potentially starting filming this summer for a release in December 2026. However, it’s essential to note that these details haven’t been verified by the studios yet, and they seem to contradict director Denis Villeneuve’s previous statement about wanting to wait several years before working on this project.
At present, you can stream Villeneuve’s films, as well as the prequel series titled “Dune: Prophecy,” on Max. Frank Herbert’s books are accessible in printed, digital, and audiobook versions.
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2025-02-25 19:40