Yahoo Finance “Cybill” Star Alicia Witt Shares Throwback Photo of Her at 7 in Original “Dune” Movie: 'Changed My Life'
Alicia Witt made her feature film debut at seven years old in David Lynch's 'Dune' adaptation, released in 1984
Alicia Witt/Instagram
Alicia Witt in 1984's DuneWith Dune: Part Two's release looming just 11 days away, Urban Legend and Cybill actress Alicia Witt is throwing it back to her first-ever movie role in a past adaptation of the beloved sci-fi novel.
On Monday, Witt, 48, shared a photo to Instagram showing a still from the credits of 1984's Dune, directed by David Lynch. The movie marked the first time author Frank Herbert's original 1965 novel was adapted to the big screen and Witt's first time acting, when she was seven and eight years old, as she wrote in a caption to her post.
"ha! love this. thank you @dumlukphoto for capturing, and for seeing the OG Dune in a movie theater this weekend 🙃 i can’t believe it’ll be 40 years this december since its release!" Witt wrote in a caption to her post, in response to a user who sent the photo from a recent screening of the movie. She played the character Alia Atreides — sister to Paul Atreides and daughter of Lady Jessica and Duke Leto Atreides (portrayed by Kyle MacLachlan, Francesca Annis and Jürgen Prochnow in the 1984 movie, respectively).
"i was 7 when i was cast by david lynch in 1983, and turned 8 just as i was finishing my 3 months in mexico city," Witt wrote on Instagram as she recalled her time filming Dune. "an experience that changed my life in every way a life can be changed. ✨"
Related: All the Out-of-This-World Looks from the Cast of 'Dune: Part Two': See the Photos!
Lynch's 1984 Dune movie covered the entirety of Herbert's novel; the 2021 movie starring Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya only featured the book's first half, with the second half to be covered in the upcoming sequel. As such, modern audiences have not yet met the character Alia onscreen, though Dune: Part One establishes that Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) is pregnant by the end of its runtime.
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Though the 1984 adaptation of Dune helped Witt launch an acting career that remains strong nearly 40 years later, the film itself is considered a box office flop. It made only $30 million at the box office upon release and filmmaker Lynch, 78, has shared in the past that he did not retain "total creative control" over the finalized version of the movie.
Related: Austin Butler Teases His 'Ugly and Bald' Dune: Part Two Villain
Universal/courtesy Everett Collection
Alicia Witt (left) and Kenneth McMilan in 1984's DuneIn response to an Instagram user who commented on Witt's post that audience members at a recent screening of Lynch's Dune in Burbank, California gave it a standing ovation, Witt wrote in a comment, "really?! awwwwww that’s incredible!!! i wish i’d been there 🥰."
Alia is expected to play a larger role in filmmaker Denis Villeneuve's upcoming Dune: Part Two and any future movies in the series, though it is unclear how the character will be portrayed.
Dune: Part Two is in theaters March 1.
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