Zendaya might have only had a small role in the first Dune movie, but Chani takes centre stage in Dune: Part Two – and the story might not go as you think.
The sequel sees Paul (Timothée Chalamet) and his mother Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) attempt to integrate themselves with the Fremen, while Paul starts up a relationship with Chani and seeks revenge against the Harkonnens.
Talking to Digital Spy ahead of Dune 2's release, Zendaya confirmed that Chani isn't just a love interest in the new movie.
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"I think [Denis Villeneuve] really had a vision, probably before I even became a part of the project, for where she was gonna go," she explained.
"I think what was cool about the first movie, or what I appreciated, is that she is seen through Paul's eyes, and so we don't really know her. We don't really have any expectations of her.
"But the woman that we meet here is very clear, very strong, very direct, and knows exactly who she is. And we get to know who she is along with Paul. I think, if anything, love is the last thing on her mind."
Zendaya added that, for Chani, the arrival of Paul and their blossoming connection ends up being a "bit of a distraction" from what she is "trying to protect".
"It just becomes a massive distraction and confusion and point of contention for her. So yeah, I think it's far more than a love interest, so much as a complicated relationship that love gets in the way of," she continued.
"And how are these two characters going to reconcile with that? I don't know how they get over it. I don't know what their future holds. Without giving it away, it ain't pretty."
Might this tie into the fact that Villeneuve has called the ending of Dune 2 "more tragic" than the book? At least we don't have too much longer to wait to find out.
Dune: Part Two is released in cinemas on March 1.
Movies Editor, Digital Spy Ian has more than 10 years of movies journalism experience as a writer and editor. Starting out as an intern at trade bible Screen International, he was promoted to report and analyse UK box-office results, as well as carving his own niche with horror movies, attending genre festivals around the world. After moving to Digital Spy, initially as a TV writer, he was nominated for New Digital Talent of the Year at the PPA Digital Awards. He became Movies Editor in 2019, in which role he has interviewed 100s of stars, including Chris Hemsworth, Florence Pugh, Keanu Reeves, Idris Elba and Olivia Colman, become a human encyclopedia for Marvel and appeared as an expert guest on BBC News and on-stage at MCM Comic-Con. Where he can, he continues to push his horror agenda – whether his editor likes it or not.
Mireia (she/her) has been working as a movie and TV journalist for over eight years. Based in the UK, she is a former deputy movies editor at Digital Spy, and previously worked for the Spanish magazine Fotogramas. Mireia's work has been published in other outlets such as Esquire and Elle in Spain, and WeLoveCinema and GamesRadar+ in the UK. She is also a published author, having written the essay Biblioteca Studio Ghibli: Nicky, la aprendiz de bruja about Hayao Miyazaki's Kiki's Delivery Service.
During her years as a freelance journalist and film critic, Mireia has covered festivals around the world and has interviewed high-profile talents such as Kristen Stewart, Ryan Gosling, Jake Gyllenhaal and many more. She's also taken part in juries such as the FIPRESCI jury at Venice Film Festival and the short film jury at Kingston International Film Festival in London. LinkedIn
