‘Dune 2’ – Rebecca Ferguson Tried For This Bene Gesserit Detail

Summary

• Dune: Part Two continues the story of Lady Jessica and Paul Atreides as they join forces with the Fremen and seek revenge after the assassination of Duke Leto Atreides.
• Rebecca Ferguson fought to include more of the Bene Gesserit lore from Frank Herbert's books, highlighting the sect's ability to plan and manipulate religious ideas.
• Ferguson's most anticipated sequence in Part Two is Lady Jessica's transformation through the Reverend Mother process, which involved working with contortionists and creating intense, Exorcist-like movement.

One of the most mysterious elements of the Dune series is the powerful Bene Gesserit. In Denis Villeneuve's films, actress Rebecca Ferguson is Lady Jessica, the audience's gateway into the superhuman abilities and their shadowy political plays. An acolyte of the faction herself, Jessica defied their teachings and bore a son, Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet), who has the makings of the foretold Kwisatz Haderach. In Dune: Part Two, we pick back up on Lady Jessica and Paul's journey into the deserts of Arrakis.

Continuing the first of Frank Herbert's books, Part Two will pick back up with the mother and son after they've united with the Fremen. A war is brewing now that Duke Leto Atreides (Oscar Isaac) has been assassinated by the vile Harkonnen family, and the Atreides heir is believed to be dead. With Paul working side-by-side with fighter Chani (Zendaya) and her people, and his mother's teachings, Muad'dib seeks revenge for his family and to alter the future to a path only he can see.

Check out the interview in the video above or in the transcript below to find out what about the Bene Gesserit from the books Ferguson begged Villeneuve to include, her reaction to Dune: Prophecy possibly covering it, how she trained for a massive transformation in Part Two, and an update on Apple TV+'s Silo Season 2.

The cast of Dune: Part Two brings back Javier Bardem as Stilgar, Josh Brolin as Gurney, Dave Bautista as Rabban, Stellan Skarsgård as Baron Harkonnen, and introduces Christopher Walken as the Emperor, Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan, and Austin Butler as Feyd-Rautha.

COLLIDER: How are you doing, arch nemesis? I want to start with congratulations on this movie. You know how incredible it is.

REBECCA FERGUSON: I know. It’s just amazing. It’s fantastic. Thank you for the interview, it was great. Next.

'Silo' Is Deep Into Filming for Season 2, According to Rebecca Ferguson

[Laughs] Exactly. You know that I’m a super fan of Silo, and I would imagine that’s why you are not in Los Angeles right now.

FERGUSON: Nope. I can’t tell you what I’ve been doing, but my god, from six o’clock this morning until literally I walked up five minutes before we started. I can’t tell you, but let’s say…

Were you swimming in water?

FERGUSON: Yes! Have you read the books?

No, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know you’re gonna end up in water in Season 2.

FERGUSON: Well, come on. Don’t be that guy. But yes, I’ve been submerged in water very deep.

When do you actually finish filming on that?

FERGUSON: The eighth of March, thank you very much for asking.

Oh my god. So that means I’m not seeing it until the end of the year or the beginning of the following. Let’s move on.

FERGUSON: Sorry, that’s that. This is now. This comes out in cinemas. [Laughs]

Rebecca Ferguson Fought for This Bene Gesserit Lore

One of the things I really want to touch on is what I love about Frank [Herbert’s] writing with Dune is the way he talks about the Bene Gesserit and the way they lay plans for, like, thousands of years, and the way they use religion as a tool.

FERGUSON: I mean, tolerancy.

Can you talk about how smart the writing is, and the Bene Gesserits in general?

FERGUSON: What I find interesting is the idea that people had to be so tolerant and so ahead of the game. We often talk about being 10 steps ahead; we’re talking about being years and lightyears ahead of planting ideas and religious thoughts. One of scenes that we didn’t get in, which was one of my favorite ones from the book — and I tried to get us to get it in, but it’s a big moment — is the communication of one Bene Gesserit to another underneath the leaf. The sign language. Do you remember?

Yes, but there’s a lot of stuff that Denis can’t get into this film.

FERGUSON: I know. I tried.

There’s a series that they’re doing for Max. Maybe they’ll work it in.

FERGUSON: I mean, that doesn’t give anything to me, does it? I’m grateful for them. What am I gonna be? Happy for other people? [Laughs]

Rebecca Ferguson Shares Her Most Anticipated 'Dune: Part Two' Sequence

[Laughs] Okay, let me switch to something else. You see the shooting schedule for Part Two, what is the day you have circled in terms of, “I cannot wait to film this,” or, “Oh my god, we have to film this?”

FERGUSON: For me, it was definitely the transformation of Lady Jessica going through the whole Reverend Mother process. It was sort of underlined, circled, highlighted, exclamation mark, and then copied and laminated. It’s probably one of the best scenes I’ve done in a long time. There’s a lot of things that we did that didn’t make it, but we worked with contortionists and movement. I think they had to shorten it, but my god, it was literally like some form of an exorcist movie with how we moved. It was great.

Dune: Part Two premieres in theaters on March 1.

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