Part Two: The director talks about the love story of Zendaya and Timothée Chalamet

The Dune sequel will focus on the love story between Chani and Paul Atreides, characters played by Zendaya and Timothée Chalamet.

Although the historic strike in Hollywood has caused a significant delay in the release of the sequel. Dunes (we’ll see in March 2024), that hasn’t stopped some of the details of the anticipated sci-fi blockbuster from leaking online, thanks in part to the director’s first, timid interviews.

Magazine Exclusive Empire Director Denis Villeneuve explained that the next part of his sci-fi adaptation of Frank Herbert’s work: it will be a war movie

after the first worldbuilding movie, But it will also focus on the romance between Chani and Paul Atreides..

The love story between the heroes of Zendaya and Timothée Chalamet will take on a special meaning in the next chapter and will become one of the pillars

. “Basically, this is a love story between Paul and Chani. How Paul will win her trust, how she will open her heart to him, and how they will find a way to rid Chani’s world of the Harkonnens. It’s a much more emotional film.”– explained the director.

Villeneuve also stated that the two films that currently embody his vision DunesThe film is about a protagonist who discovers and fulfills his destiny in an attempt to save lives and restore justice, so he had to try to distract Chalamet from the typical “hero’s journey” depiction, as the consequences of this trip could be catastrophic.

“I remember when I was filming the first part, I kept telling Timothy, ‘No, you’re Paul’. Because he’s targeting Muad’Dib (Paul’s name in the Fremen community). He was itching to be a hero, and I was holding him back.”– recalls the director.

“He has the power to make a difference, but he knows that if he does, he will create an astronomical amount of violence and become something of a dictator. Try to find a way to avoid this terrible future – it’s a burden on his shoulders.”