While in Frank Herbert's 1965 novel the character is male, Dr. Liet Kynes will be played by Sharon Duncan-Brewster in director Denis Villeneuve's upcoming Dune movie. During the debut event for the Dune trailer, Duncan-Brewster addressed the character being gender swapped for the film.

Asked by host Stephen Colbert about any conversations she had with Villeneuve about the choice, Duncan-Brewster replied, "I think and foremost, as far as Denis was concerned, it was all about concentrating on the essence of this person. He's an integral role. He connects all the dots. He connects the Harkonnens. He connects the House of Atreides. He connects the Fremen, planet Arrakis, sandworms. This is somebody who understands all these worlds and moves in between each and every one. So I don't think it matters that Kynes, in the book, is a man. What's important is what Kynes stands for."

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You can read Warner Bros. plot synopsis for the film below:

A mythic and emotionally charged hero’s journey, Dune tells the story of Paul Atreides, a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, who must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people. As malevolent forces explode into conflict over the planet’s exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence—a commodity capable of unlocking humanity’s greatest potential—only those who can conquer their fear will survive.

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Villeneuve's Dune -- which will split the book into two movies -- is the latest attempt to adapt the beloved series. In 1984, David Lynch helmed a Dune film starring Kyle MacLachlan as Paul Atreides. The movie, which performed poorly at the box office, was also received negatively by critics. Since the original film's release, there have since been two TV miniseries based on the franchise: 2000's Frank Herbert's Dune and 2003's Frank Herbert's Children of Dune.

Directed by Denis Villeneuve from a script he co-wrote with Eric Roth and Jon Spaihts, Legendary Pictures' Dune stars Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides, Zendaya as Chani, Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica, Oscar Isaac as Duke Leto Atreides, Stellan Skarsgård as Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, Javier Bardem as Stilgar, Chang Chen as Dr. Wellington Yueh, Sharon Duncan-Brewster as Dr. Liet Kynes, Charlotte Rampling as Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam, Dave Bautista Glossu Rabban, David Dastmalchian as Piter De Vries, Jason Momoa as Duncan Idaho, Stephen Henderson as Thufir Hawat, and Josh Brolin as Gurney Halleck. The film arrives in theaters Dec. 18.

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