Zendaya Takes Star Turn in 'Dune'

By Kiarah M. Williams
Spectrum Staff Writer

           Two stars from the newly released Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures film “Dune” participated in a nationwide college roundtable on Oct. 17 to promote the movie directed by Oscar-nominee Denis Villeneuve and adapted from the Frank Herbert novel of the same name.

            Student journalists across the country led the discussion with Timothée Chalamet who plays the main character, Paul Atreides, and Zendaya, portraying Chani; and they reflected on what this film meant to them personally and what it could mean for people trying to find themselves.

            Both stars are only 25 years old and started their careers at very young ages. When an opportunity presented itself to work with established successful actors that have been nominated for Oscars and won, they jumped at the chance to audition for the project. The project felt right like “destiny,” said Zendaya, an actress who has starred in several projects for Walt Disney Studios, adding that she felt a close connection to her character. 

            After being asked, “Do you see yourselves in these characters?” the stars responded in similar ways.

Chalamet said he felt he was connected to his character from his childhood. “I think with the first question, I see certainly when I was younger, like an identity and I struggled to find it, the journey Paul’s on… ability to grow as a young man…. total dream come true.”

Similarly, Zendaya felt connected through having to grow up, she responded with, “this felt like a no brainer…. Where I connect with Chani… both of us having to grow up in an adult space, and always working with people that are older.”  The connections to both characters resonated on a deep level to these stars.

            Above all, Chalamet, who starred in “Call Me by Your Name,” and Zendaya, who had a leading role in “Euphoria,” agreed that their previous work drew in young adults and teens. They hope their connection to younger moviegoers will bring a new audience to this film, a younger generation that is struggling to find its identity in a complex world.

When asked, “What do you hope this new audience gets out of seeing Paul grapple with his identity and environment?” Amazed at the question, both stars want this generation to relate to something in the film and take a lesson away from it whatever that might be.

            “That’s the dream…. Its themes remain relevant… If young people can relate to what Chani or Paul are going through at the center… Than we really succeeded,” Chalamet said.

Zendaya offered the theme she wants people to take away from the film: “There’s so many things you can take from it…How to care without completely destroying yourself, and I think a lot of people especially young people feel that way.”

            The science fiction novel, “Dune” that takes place in the future is about a young man named Paul who must fulfill his prophecy while discovering who he is. This novel was published in 1965 and adapted for film in 1984. This modern 2021 version has sparked great conversations on what this means to the directors and actors that were apart of it. “Dune” premiered on Oct. 22 and is in theaters now.