Paul's sister, Alia Atreides, will be a "bad guy" in Dune 3, according to star Anya Taylor-Joy, which could be considered a deviation from the novel it's adapting, Dune: Messiah, depending on your perspective.

The revelation comes from Taylor-Joy, who told The New York Times: "At the end of the movie, Denis and I talked, and I was like, 'Whoa, I'm the bad guy. That's crazy.'" In black-and-white terms, Alia never actively conspires against Paul in Dune: Messiah in the same way that Irulan and Scytale do. However, Alia does form a close connection with Hayt (played by Jason Momoa in Dune 3) – a complex figure who is born of wicked intent.

Alia has been aged up significantly for Dune 3 (she's 16 in the novel, while Taylor-Joy is 30), but it seems Alia's illicit relationship with Hayt will still be a major part of Dune 3, and she'll be putting this relationship ahead of all others in the movie.

"I really understood where [Alia] was coming from," Taylor-Joy said. "What a gift of a character; to play somebody that has one connection to one person, and nobody else matters at all. That kind of straightforwardness felt almost animalistic in a way. I've never really done animal work before, but she was definitely my most feral creation."

Director Denis Villeneuve has been a co-writer on all three Dune movies, and has made numerous adaptive changes to the novel so far. Most pertinent for Dune 3 is that Zendaya's Chani is no longer the doting wife of Dune: Messiah, but is seemingly actively working to unseat Paul as Padishah Emperor following the galactic genocide committed in his name that results in the deaths of billions.

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