One of Dune's most engaging characters is Lady Jessica, the concubine of Duke Leto Atreides and mother of the main protagonist, Paul Atreides. Lady Jessica's arc in Dune is very closely adapted from the novel, but director, Denis Villeneuve, has confirmed a major Lady Jessica story change in Dune 2. Lady Jessica's role shrinks dramatically in the second half of Herbert's novel, but Villeneuve has intimated he is expanding that role to maintain her importance in the sequel.
Why Dune 2 Giving Lady Jessica A Bigger Role Than The Books Is Great For The Sequel
Dune: Part Two giving Lady Jessica a bigger role than the books is great for the sequel because it keeps one of the first movie's most engaging characters at the forefront, allowing her to be used to further layer Dune: Part Two's main character, Paul Atreides. One of the difficulties of adapting a book for the movies is that it's hard to convey characters' inner monologues. In the case of Paul Atreides, his inner monologue is essential to Dune 2's story. By expanding the role of Lady Jessica, Dune 2 can directly convey the ideas that Paul has in the books through conversations between the two.
Jessica's expanded role will also be essential in introducing Alia, Lady Jessica's daughter and Paul's sister. In the book, Lady Jessica goes through the ritual to become a Reverend Mother while pregnant with Alia, causing the child to be born with the mind of an adult and the memories of past Reverend Mothers. That situation will have to be handled carefully in the movie and expanding Jessica's role will be essential in doing it properly. Setting up Alia will be particularly important if the franchise plans to adapt the next book in Herbert's Dune series, Dune Messiah.
What Will Lady Jessica's Story Be In Dune 2?
The most important part of Lady Jessica's story in Dune: Part Two will be her becoming a Reverend Mother and giving birth to Alia. Jessica becomes a Reverend Mother by drinking the sacred Water of Life, a poisonous blue liquid that must be consumed to gain the memories of past Reverend Mothers. When one becomes a Reverend Mother, they must drink the poison and change its chemistry within their bodies to ensure that it doesn't kill them. Bene Geserit, like Lady Jessica, are capable of consciously controlling their body chemistry and using this skill to break down poisons. Beyond becoming a Reverend Mother, Jessica's story is also likely to focus on advising Paul and possibly guiding him through the challenges that await him in the sequel.
