One of the few criticisms audiences had of Denis Villenueve’s Dune wasn’t a concern that was shared by those familiar with the source material, or even the majority of casual audiences who checked out the epic sci-fi on either the big screen or HBO Max.
Instead, in a display of her massive popularity and global fanbase, there was uproar on the internet that Zendaya’s total screentime in a movie that ran for 156 minutes ran to roughly seven. Fear not, though, because Villenueve has already confirmed that her contributions to sequel Part Two will be significantly increased, to the extent that she’ll be just as integral to the story as Timothée Chalamet.
Despite her minimal minutes, Chalamet couldn’t be more glowing in his praise for Zendaya’s performance as Chani in an interview with Deadline, where he reveals he was blown away by what she brought to the part.
“She is Chani, and it’s incredible to witness. From the get-go, she was that character, and it was inspiring to see. I love the shot in the movie of Chani pulling the mask down for the first time; it feels properly momentous. But even on the day, it was like, ‘Holy sh*t, Chani has arrived’.”
Production on the sequel is scheduled to begin around next summer, with Dune: Part Two coming to theaters in October 2023. Now that Zendaya supporters have had the time to calm down about her fleeting appearances dotted throughout the opener, they can start getting hyped about her ascension to co-lead status in the closing chapter.
Published: Nov 26, 2021 05:17 am