Paul and Chani having and ultimately losing a son is something the film likely just didn't have room to adequately explore, especially seeing as how even the original book didn't spend that much time on it. For starters, the film notoriously glosses over the two years between Paul joining the Fremen and Paul overthrowing the Empire, with most of that period of time being reduced to a montage. There are a few possible reasons as to why Leto II the Elder was excluded from Lynch's adaptation of Dune. RELATED: Dune: What Happened to Earth? Dune's Leto II, the God-Emperor In turn, the child who was born and died on Arrakis in the first book has been retroactively dubbed "Leto II the Elder" (and is sometimes referred to by fans as "Leto 1.5"). In the end, Chani gives birth to twins: a girl named Ghanima and a boy named Leto II. Dune Messiah, the second book in Herbert's Dune saga, chronicles Paul and Chani's struggle to produce an heir. Of course, Paul would eventually lay waste to House Harkonnen and claim the throne as Emperor of the Known Universe. In the book, the original Leto II doesn't live very long, as he is murdered as an infant during a Sardaukar raid.
#ALIA ATREIDES CHILDREN OF DUNE TV MOVIE#
The part of the book that the movie leaves out, however, is that around the same time, Paul and his Fremen lover, Chani, also had a baby - a boy named Leto II (not to be confused with the God-Emperor).
RELATED: Dune Cut the Novel's Darkest Twist - How Will the Sequel Handle It? While living with the Fremen, Lady Jessica gives birth to Alia Atreides, Paul's younger sister. Like the movie, Herbert's original novel sees Paul, son of Duke Leto Atreides, and his mother, Lady Jessica of the Atreides, join the Fremen following a coup that wipes out most of their house, Leto included.
But what those who have only seen the Lynch movie may not know is that prior to Muad'Dib's jihad, there was actually another person who carried the name Leto II. Many Dune fans are sure to be familiar with Leto II Atreides, Paul's son who would go on to transform himself into a sandworm and rule the Known Universe as the God-Emperor.