The Dune Sequel Is Happening, but Will Zendaya Be in It? Here's the Deal

Dune, the latest sci-fi hit at the box office, has an incredible plot that already has fans eager for details about the sequel, Dune: Part 2. The cast is packed with incredible actors like Timothée Chalamet, Jason Momoa, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Oscar Isaac, and Javier Bardem. Still, a large amount of the excitement around the film focussed on superstar talent Zendaya. After fans realised she only gets approximately seven minutes of screen time in the film's entirety, those who are obsessed with her (aka me — like, seriously obsessed) were left wondering: Will she be in the sequel? And if so, what type of role will she have?

In Dune: Part 1, Chalamet plays Paul Atreides of planet Caladan, and Zendaya acts alongside him as Chani, a Fremen girl native to the planet Paul's family has been given control over, Arrakis. The two are the film's romantic leads, and they have undeniable chemistry (even if Zendaya is only on screen for seven minutes). While most of Paul and Chani's interaction is technically through Paul's dreams, viewers see the two unite in person at the very end of the film, leaving them eager for more scenes between the two. Luckily, if the sequel follows the plot of the Dune novels by Frank Herbert as closely as Dune: Part 1 does, then we can expect Zendaya to reprise her role in the sequel and get a lot more screen time.

Dune director Denis Villeneuve has expressed enthusiasm over the prospect of Zendaya returning for the Dune sequel so they can continue telling Chani's story. "There are some characters that are less developed that I'm keeping for the second film—that's the way I found the equilibrium. We tried in this movie to stay as close as possible to Paul's experience. Then, in the second one, I will have time to develop some characters that were left aside a little bit," Villeneuve told the Los Angeles Times. He also told La Republica (via IGN), "I'm honoured to present on-screen two talents [Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya] that are so explosive, 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 the [female] protagonist of the story."

Fortunately, Zendaya reciprocates Villeneuve's excitement. "We'll see how the first [movie] goes, but I'm ready to do a second. Whenever they call, I'm here," she told InStyle.

Well, after Dune: Part 1's epic opening at the box office, Dune: Part 2 was officially greenlit by Legendary and Warner Bros. on 26 Oct., so we can expect to see more of Zendaya's Chani, and her developing relationship with Chalamet's Paul, when it hits theatres!