Denis Villeneuve's highly anticipated Dune is roughly 2 months away from its theatrical release. However, the visionary filmmaker is already discussing the film's 2nd part, revealing that Zendaya will be a major part of Dune Part 2.
In a recent interview with Italian magazine Il Venerdì di Repubblica, Villeneuve opened up about Dune's sequel and looks forward to continuing working with the talented young cast. "I am honored to present two such explosive talents on-screen [Chalamet and Zendaya] and I can’t wait to shoot the second part of ‘Dune’ to get them back together. Knowing that in the next chapter Zendaya will be a protagonist of the story,” he said. Timothée Chalamet, who plays Paul Atreides, is the protagonist of the first film.
When Villeneuve was being eyed by Warner Bros. to direct Dune back in 2016, his one condition was that the film would be split into 2 parts due to the amount of material that is presented in the novel. With Dune's reported runtime of 155 minutes, it’s apparent that Villeneuve has been given plenty of room to explore all of the unique characters. Villeneuve shares that out of all of the actresses who auditioned for the role of Chani, he immediately knew that Zendaya was the one to bring the character to life. "Zendaya wanted to audition and today, after shooting the film and seeing what a wonderful actress she is, I’m sorry I auditioned her. It was just because I didn’t know her. However that day, she impressed me and when she left the studio I knew that Chani was her, the young desert tiger,” he said.
Based on the 1965 science fiction novel by Frank Herbert, Dune will follow heir Paul Atreides, a young man who accepts the stewardship of the dangerous desert planet Arrakis (a.k.a. Dune), which contains the most valuable substance in the universe known as the "spice" that gives its users extraordinary abilities. As the Atreides' face grave danger after becoming the new owners of this planet, Paul and the rest of the family team up with Chani, a member of the Arrakis natives known as Fremen.
Villeneuve, who is known for creating expansive worlds that feel somewhat grounded, is seeking to accomplish the same realistic aspect with his Dune films. He later adds in the same interview, “I didn’t look for the exotic. I wanted everyday light, not perfect sunsets or sunrises. I wanted it to be accessible and understandable. So I gave space to nature for what it is, without trying to control or modify it.” Villeneuve hopes that this style of filmmaking will allow viewers to focus more on the Dune characters and the relationships they share rather than being distracted by any flashy shots that could potentially pull the audience out of the story.
It appears that Villeneuve has created something very memorable and exciting, as an early screening has already wowed many, including Academy Award-winning director Chloé Zhao (Nomadland). In addition to Zendaya and Chalamet, Dune will also star Oscar Isaac as Leto Atreides, Josh Brolin as Gurney Halleck, Jason Momoa as Duncan Idaho, Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica, Dave Bautista as Glossu Rabban, and Javier Bardem as Stilgar.
Dune will have its world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival in early September and is set to release in theatres and for streaming on HBO MAX on October 22, 2021.
Source: IndieWire, Il Venerdì di Repubblica