Dune: Part Three has some complicated source material to sift through, but it looks like one of the most problematic components of the novel, Dune Messiah, may have already been fixed for the upcoming film adaptation. Serving as what will likely be the final Dune movie featuring Paul Atreides, the new installment needs to set up the rest of the story’s cast. With characters like Florence Pugh’s Princess Irulan returning, it is set to feature a unique ensemble when it is released in 2026.
The Dune novels are not the easiest to adapt. Denis Villeneuve had to take some enormous liberties to tell the story of even the first novel across two films, and that task becomes progressively harder with each subsequent installment in the series. With the Dune Messiah novel seeing some of the weirdest moments in the whole story, it seems likely that the movie adaptation will make some significant changes. One of these changes is already implied by moments from the previous film, setting up the franchise for great success.
Alia Atreides & Duncan Idaho (Hayt) Have A Romance In Dune Messiah, But It’s Really Odd
The Romance Between The Characters Wouldn’t Work As Written
Alia Atreides is one of the weirdest Dune characters, and that strangeness follows her into her romance with Hayt in Dune Messiah. In the books, Alia is born in Dune as a child who already carries the full powers of the Bene Gesserit. This happened due to Jessica undergoing the spice agony process. From there, she becomes a revered and worshiped figure by the Fremen on Arrakis, and this eventually leads to a very strange and unsettling romantic relationship.
Alia is canonically a teenager during the events of Dune Messiah, but it would be extremely uncomfortable to see her sharing a relationship with a grown man like Hayt in Dune: Part Three.
Duncan Idaho is one of the best characters in Dune, Dune Messiah, Children of Dune, and beyond, and his persistence in the narrative begins with events from this novel. After Duncan’s death in the first Dune, he is restored as a ghola in Dune Messiah. Created by the Bene Tleilax, a ghola is an artificial human who has been regrown from cells. The cells must be taken from a ᴅᴇᴀᴅ human, not a living one. This regrowth is done inside an Axlotl tank and generally creates a human as an adult.
Alia is canonically a teenager during the events of Dune Messiah, but it would be extremely uncomfortable to see her sharing a relationship with a grown man like Hayt in Dune: Part Three. Generally, the Axlotl tanks will reconstruct a human to the same age they were at their death, signifying a potentially uncomfortable age gap between Hayt and Alia during the beginning of Dune: Part Three. With Alia not yet born during the events of Dune: Part Two, this could go in a very unsettling direction for the new film.
Anya Taylor-Joy & Jason Momoa’s Castings Help Make Alia & Hayt’s Romance A Bit More Acceptable
Both Actors Are At Least Adults In The Upcoming Dune Sequel
Anya Taylor-Joy will return for Dune: Part Three, and so will Jason Momoa. There is still a significant age gap between the two performers, with Taylor-Joy being 29 and Momoa being 45. However, an adult relationship with an age gap is much less concerning than one where Alia is a teenager. With Alia already aged in her dream appearance in Dune: Part Two, it seems that the upcoming sequel may play with her character and age as she appears in the films.
Seeing how Alia fits into the world established in the first two Dune films is one of the most promising aspects of the upcoming Dune: Part Three.
Among many other exciting details of Dune: Part Three, this is comforting. Seeing Momoa’s Duncan Idaho sharing a romantic relationship with a clear teenager would make for several uncomfortable moments within the franchise. Fortunately, even if Alia remains young, Anya Taylor-Joy has a distinct and hauntingly original look, and her appearance can certainly lend itself to different interpretations of what youth on Arrakis might look like. Seeing this explored in the new sequel is an excellent prospect.
There have been many changes to the Dune books in recent films, and for the most part, these have been for the better. While the Frank Herbert novels are some of the most important works in the science fiction literary canon, it is refreshing to see a confident filmmaker like Denis Villeneuve willing to retain the spirit of the original works while making constructive changes that help Dune to operate better as a film. These changes to Alia and Hayt, due to the casting, are extremely welcoming.
Seeing how Alia fits into the world established in the first two Dune films is one of the most promising aspects of the upcoming Dune: Part Three. With a talented performer like Taylor-Joy attached to the role, the strange character could become important and beloved in the pop-culture pantheon. It is certainly a relief that the filmmakers seem to have aged up her character. In doing so, they have created the opportunity to transform a disturbing romance in the upcoming film into a compelling one.
