Jason Momoa Snuck An Easter Egg Into "Dune" For His Son

The sandstorms of adulation for Dune have blanketed the box office as well as the internet.

the cast of dune standing in a line
© Warner Bros. / Courtesy Everett Collection

Jason Momoa stars as the swordmaster of House Atreides, Duncan Idaho. He is fierce, skilled, loyal, and a great friend to the protagonist Paul.

Jason Momoa looking at the camera in Dune
© Warner Bros. / courtesy Everett Collection

Momoa's role in Game of Thrones ended many years ago, but his character in Dune is just as daring and lethal with a blade as his character of Khal Drogo was in Game of Thrones.

Duncan Idaho flying an ornithopter
Warner Bros. Pictures

Momoa was absolutely thrilled to be in such an epic movie, and he wanted to make it special for his kids as well. For his climactic fight in the movie, Jason decided to include some moves from Kali, a martial arts technique native to the Philippines.

A man smiling
Samir Hussein / Getty Images

He explained in an interview with IndieWire that his son practices Kali himself, so in the movie "there’s definitely these intimate moments where I’m signaling to my son."

Jason Momoa holding a sword in the sand
© Warner Bros. / Courtesy Everett Collection

For example, before his climactic fight in Dune commences, he makes a gesture of touching his heart and head with his blade:

Duncan Idaho holds a sword in his right hand and then places it vertically over his heart and then places it horizontally over his forehead

That was an intimate wink to his son.

Warner Bros. Pictures

"That’s a Kali move, where you put your hand on your heart and put it on your head. That’s to Timothée in the movie, but that’s to my son in real life."

  Jeff Spicer / Jeff Spicer / Getty Images for Warner Bros
Jeff Spicer / Jeff Spicer / Getty Images for Warner Bros

Well, this explanation does make the scene more emotional and cute for those now familiar with the story behind the gesture — as if we needed further reason to adore Momoa and his character in Dune!

Jason Momoa laughs
Tim P. Whitby / Tim P. Whitby / Getty Images for Warner Bros