Zendaya’s been on quite the roll lately, as in addition to her continued time as Rue Bennett in the hit HBO series EuphoriaShe also starred in Malcolm & Marie, Space Jam: A New Legacy, Spider-Man has no way homeAnd DuneThe year before. The latter movie saw the actress playing Chani opposite Timothée Chalamet’s Paul Atreides, but when she auditioned for Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of the Frank Herbert-penned novel (after convincing the powers-that-be that she should be considered), Zendaya had to deal with a fear that came from her recent wisdom tooth operation.
When discussing her work DuneAs part of a comprehensive profile with W Magazine, Zendaya recalled how the first time she acted out a scene with Timothée Chalamet in the DuneAuditorium: She was concerned about her wisdom teeth being removed so soon that it would lead to foul breath. In her words:
My wisdom teeth were just out. My biggest fear was that my mouth would be vile, and then I would have to do a scene with Timothée where we have to be really close, and he would smell my possible dry socket breath.
Getting wisdom teeth removed isn’t exactly an enjoyable experience, but most of us don’t need to worry about auditioning for a major motion picture shortly after going through such a procedure. Unfortunately for Zendaya, that’s the predicament she found herself in when first testing the DuneShe was able to swim in the ocean, and her fears were unfounded. Both the surgery and her audition happened without any issues, and now Zendaya plays an important role in one of Hollywood’s current biggest sci-fi properties.
Admittedly, Zendaya wasn’t present in DuneIt was a long time and she spent less than four days on the set. Her screen time was limited to Paul Atreides viewing Chani in dreams and the official debut of the character towards the end. Just like the original, they are still there. Dune novel, Chani was set up as someone who will be quite important in Paul’s life, and you’ll be seeing a lot more of her when Part 2 of Dune2023. Zendaya is the third actress to play Chani in live-action, following Sean Young in David Lynch’s Dune movieAnd Barbora Kodetová in the then-Sci-Fi Channel’s Dune and Children of Dune miniseries.
On October 22, the theaters will be open simultaneously with HBO Max. DuneThe film received great critical acclaim. It grossed more than $400 million at the global box office. It’s since highlighted in 10 categories at the 2022 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. We’ll see if it takes home any of those golden trophies when the 94th Academy Awards air on ABC March 27, but for Zendaya, Denis Villeneuve and many others, the Dune journey isn’t ending. Part 2 of DuneThe film was approved less than a week ago, and production is expected to start this summer. In addition to Chani’s expanded role and Javier Bardem’s request for more Stilgar scenes being granted, the Harkonnen family will also have a bigger presence in the sequel.
Part 2 of DuneThe film will open in cinemas on October 20, 2023. CinemaBlend will keep you updated on the progress of the movie. We’ll also continue providing information on the status of 2022’s upcoming movies.