Anya Taylor-Joy has shared one of the strangest behind-the-scenes stories from the set of Dune: Part Three, revealing that she unexpectedly came face to face with a fetus version of herself while filming Denis Villeneuve’s upcoming sci-fi epic. The actress, who plays Alia Atreides, recounted the unusual experience during an appearance on The Julia Cunningham Show, offering fans a rare glimpse into the elaborate practical effects created for the film.
“I got to meet the baby version of me on set and it was a surprise,” Taylor-Joy said. “I walked into like the prosthetics area and there was fetus me and I have some insane pictures of me with fetus me. Yeah, she’s creepy, but I like her.”
The bizarre encounter stems from the unique nature of Alia Atreides, one of Frank Herbert’s most unusual characters. Unlike an ordinary unborn child, Alia possesses consciousness before birth, making her one of the most mysterious figures in the Dune universe. Villeneuve briefly introduced audiences to the character in Dune: Part Two, where she appeared during Paul’s visions, but Dune: Part Three is expected to significantly expand her role.
Taylor-Joy’s comments offer another glimpse into the extraordinary level of detail behind Villeneuve’s adaptation, where practical effects and prosthetic work continue to play a major role alongside visual effects. While many large-scale productions create elaborate props that never receive much attention, discovering a lifelike prosthetic version of her own character clearly became one of the more memorable moments of Taylor-Joy’s experience on set.
Although Taylor-Joy’s appearance in Dune: Part Two was brief, her role in the third installment is expected to be far more substantial. Early promotional footage has already sparked discussion among fans, including a striking shot of Alia covered in blood, hinting at the darker direction her storyline may take as Villeneuve concludes his adaptation of Frank Herbert’s original saga.
Her co-star Timothée Chalamet, who reprises his role as Paul Atreides, has also praised Taylor-Joy’s performance, describing it as genuinely unsettling. Given Alia’s complex nature and central importance to the story, her expanded role is expected to be one of the film’s biggest additions.
Taylor-Joy has steadily become one of Hollywood’s most sought-after performers since her Emmy-nominated breakout in The Queen’s Gambit. In recent years, she has balanced franchise roles—including voicing Princess Peach in The Super Mario Bros. Movie films—with acclaimed dramatic performances, and is also set to appear in The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum.
Dune: Part Three is scheduled to arrive in theaters on December 18, where it will open alongside Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Doomsday in what is shaping up to be one of the year’s biggest box office showdowns. While audiences wait to see how Villeneuve concludes his acclaimed trilogy, Taylor-Joy’s story serves as a reminder that some of the most memorable moments from a blockbuster production happen long before the cameras start rolling.
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