Zendaya has revealed that her role in Dune is a relatively small and that she only spent four days filming on Denis Villeneuve's upcoming film . Based on the classic sci-fi novel by Frank Herbert, Dune follows Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) whose family accept stewardship over the desolate world of Arrakis, a planet that is the only source of the life-extending spice Melange. Zendaya plays the warrior Chani, a member of the planet's native Fremen who finds her destiny entwined with that of Paul as he finds himself fighting for the control of the planet.
Zendaya is perhaps best known for her role as MJ in the MCU's Spider-Man films, a role that she is set to reprise in the upcoming Spider-Man: No Way Home. An accomplished singer and dancer, the actress also played Anne Wheeler in The Greatest Showman and appears as recovering drug-addict Rue Bennett in HBO's Euphoria, a role for which she awarded an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. Most recently, she provided the voice of Lola Bunny in Space Jam: A New Legacy.
Speaking to Empire ahead of Dune's premiere at the Venice film festival, Zendaya was asked about what it was like to work with Villeneuve on the upcoming film. The actress stated that while she loved working with the director, she didn't actually spend long on set. She admitted that "I was only there for four days" as her role is actually very small. However she did add that she is looking forward to working with him again and exploring the role of Chani further in the sequel. You can read Zendaya's full statement below:
"[Denis Villeneuve is] so kind and attentive to all of his actors. I was only there for four days and I did not want to leave! Denis understands what he wants from us but he’s also very collaborative, allowing me to have my take on the character as well. I don’t want to jinx anything but I can’t wait to explore her more. I hope I get to learn more from Denis. I love to learn from people who are great at their job."
Dune is set to be split into two halves, although the second part is yet to be officially announced. However, if Villeneuve is successful in making the second part of his sci-fi epic then audiences can expect to see Zendaya in a much more significant role, reportedly becoming the main character of the sequel. This would mark a significant departure from the original novel which predominantly focuses on Paul, but Villeneuve could be attempting to further explore the culture of the Fremen or even their time before the Atreides family arrive on Arrakis. In which case it would make sense for Chani to be the main focal point.
Despite its cult-following, Dune is very much a product of its time, with women playing a backseat role in the novel. While it's surprising to hear that Zendaya will only have a limited role in the film, it's good to hear that she and Villeneuve have strived to better examine her role and the actress is looking forward to further exploring the character. Moreover, it does make sense for her role to be smaller if the narrative is to be split into two parts. Dune should realistically end shortly after Paul encounters the Fremen and Chani, with the majority of her appearances being through visions. That will set the character up well to play a far more significant role in the sequel alongside Paul. Of course, nothing is certain at the moment and we will just have to wait until Dune is released in theaters and on HBO Max on October 22nd.
Source: Empire
