Dune Sequel Will Reportedly Focus on Zendaya's Chani

It's no secret that Dune is the story of Paul Atreides and how he becomes the Muad'Dib. However, Denis Villeneuve has other plans for the adaptation's next installment. The director has just revealed that the Dune sequel is going to put the focus on Zendaya's character Chani instead.

Although Paul is the main protagonist in Frank Herbert's novels, Chani also plays an important role in the books. After all, she is connected to Paul even before they met, appearing in his dreams. Chani also happens to be one of the strongest women in Arakkis with a well-written backstory.

But is Chani important enough to be the lead in Dune? Although the first film is set to be in Paul's perspective, Villeneuve has told Italian magazine Il Venerdì di Repubblica (via DuneInfo) that he plans for the second movie to be told from Chani's point of view.

Villeneuve admitted that he is already looking forward to working with Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya as soon as possible. He then revealed that Dune 2 will see Chani's side of the story.

"I can't wait to shoot the second part of Dune to get [Chalamet and Zendaya] back together. Knowing that in the next chapter Zendaya will be the protagonist of the story," Villeneuve said.

It's an interesting revelation considering that everyone expects Paul to be the main protagonist in all the film adaptations. However, it's also exciting to see the story unfold through Chani's eyes.

For now, there has been no update on when the sequel will begin production. In the meantime, Dune will have its world premiere at the 78th Venice International Film Festival on September 3, 2021. The movie will then hit theaters and HBO Max on October 22, 2021.

Related: Dune Poster Features Ensemble Cast on The Planet of Arrakis