[ChuckNorris89]

>It’s also the age of 35 year old women playing the mothers of 25 year old men

Its my gripe with the latest Dune adaptation. No way that actress was old enough to be Paul's mom unless she had him when she was 6 years old. She looked more like his siter than his mother.

It bugs me when they don't have age apropriate family members with such obviously wide age gaps.

[beezlebroxxxxxx]

I understand your complaint in the larger context of popular culture. But in the context of Dune, which takes place 1000s of years in the future, and in which there exist a genetically manipulating pseudo-cult group of witches/spies who are desperately seeking the ascendancy of humankind to a higher plane of existence, it is slightly more reasonable that Jessica Atreides looks the way she does, as a hyper attractive concubine that was intended (you might say "designed") to eventually develop the bloodline of a pseudo-god. But that also only really makes sense if you're invested in the narrative.

The real kicker is that Paul probably should have looked younger. In the novel, he arrives on Arrakis when he is 15.

[Andrew_nenakhov]

In-universe, they also have drugs that slow aging by a lot, so wealthy people can live for up to 200 years.

[ChuckNorris89]

Sounds like something up Bezos's and Musk's alleys from our universe.

[samatman]

This is the basic problem with adapting Dune. It has absolute loads of worldbuilding, and tells a reasonably complex plot at the same time. It doesn't matter how many times it's adapted, the viewer is just going to have a better time if they have read the book.

Jessica is a Bene Gesserit, they are explicitly noted to stay youthful in appearance and live a long time. This is one of many hundreds of details that just have to be shown, there's no time to explain them.

[antisthenes]

> No way that actress was old enough to be Paul's mom unless she had him when she was 6 years old.

If you know anything about Dune's lore, you would know why this is the case. The movie absolutely does not go into enough detail about this or explain the abilities of Bene Gesserit.

In fact, I don't think it does it at all.

[saiya-jin]

Well there is only 12 years age difference between actors, but Chalamet looks 15-17 all the time. Maybe creators wanted to emphasize strict gene selection happening behind curtains, and people in year 10,191 have better healthcare/skincare on position of queen.

Never met 40+ woman who looked as if she just finished university? Smooth skin, no moles or wrinkles, energetic. Genes + upkeep + generally healthy lifestyle + good sleep. And probably no kids.

Its not outrageous to have 15 year old son and looking very fine, plenty of world even in 2022 start having kids before/at 20. Look at all the photos of young moms from Ukraine escaping, often almost teenagers around young mom, in age that here where I live local women start thinking about having a child.

[HelloNurse]

Considering the peculiar genetic projects of the Bene Gesserit and other Dune groups is unnecessary: the real world trend of somewhat aged people looking so good that they can pass as significantly younger (in particular, actors who are credible as younger characters) can be easily and obviously extrapolated to the wealthy nobility of a far future high tech SF setting.

Jessica Atreides at about 40 is supposed to look so extraordinarily youthful that a younger actress like Rebecca Ferguson is needed.

[Saint_Genet]

This is vey much what I had in mind, I think Rebecca Ferguson is like 12 years older than Timothée Chalamet