In Herbert's "Dune," toddler Alia is indispensable to the tale, as her journey runs parallel to Paul's, creating a mirroring effect that is both alarming and tragic. This is made especially clear ...

When Alia is later born, she Freaks. People. Out. In Dune, she is a toddler with the intelligence and bearing of a fully grown adult, and thusly she is viewed by many as an abomination.

In Children of Dune, the third novel, Alia takes after her brother, growing more power hungry as her abilities develop. She succumbs to the whims of her grandfather, Baron Harkonnen, who possesses ...

The second motivator behind cutting toddler Alia had less to do with Alia as a character, and more to do with the years-long time jump that pops up around two-thirds of the way through Dune. The ...

But if Villeneuve only pulls from Messiah, some of the most interesting things that happen to Alia will be left out. In the third book, Children of Dune (1976), Alia's mind is combined with the memory ...

Naturally, it's a huge challenge to try to bring a toddler who is also a superbeing to a live-action film. Dune: Part Two cheats a bit by never actually having Alia be born.

Anya Taylor-Joy only has a small role in 'Dune: Part Two' as Alia Atreides—but the character is a very big deal in the books. Here's what to know about her.

It's complex, this rhapsody in taupe. But under the direction of Greg Yaitanes, "Children of Dune" doesn't feel weighed down by its ponderous story line, where its predecessor did.