There is little doubt that Denis Villeneuve's upcoming adaptation of Dune is going to be faithful to Frank Herbert's books. However, it looks like the filmmaker also made some tweaks to the story. For instance, it was revealed that Rebecca Ferguson will portray a scarier version of Lady Jessica in the highly anticipated film.
Book readers already know that Lady Jessica is a powerful woman. In the novels, she is a member of the Bene Gesserit, a sect of women who can read minds and control people with their voices. While these are already fearsome traits on their own, Villeneuve confirmed with Variety that Ferguson's version of Lady Jessica will also be a strong fighter, describing her as a "warrior priestess." The director also pointed out that the description is "better than 'space nun'."
Ferguson also explained that in addition to defending her son Paul Atreides, Lady Jessica must also train the boy who is destined to become a savior.
"She's a mother, she's a concubine, she's a soldier," Ferguson said. She then stated that Villeneuve decided to give Lady Jessica an upgrade that is in line with the changing times.
"Denis was very respectful of Frank's work in the book, [but] the quality of the arcs for much of the women have been brought up to a new level. There were some shifts he did, and they are beautifully portrayed now," Ferguson said.
For now, we have only seen Lady Jessica in her cloak and her stillsuits. Hopefully, we'll get to see her in action when the first trailer for Dune is released.
Dune is scheduled to premiere on December 18.
Related: Dune Movie Will NOT Feature the Whole Book
Explore new topics and discover content that's right for you!
Fantasy & Science Fiction