With the release of Dune hitting U.S. theaters this past weekend, the sci-fi epic has proved such a hit with audiences and critics alike that Dune: Part Two has now been officially greenlit.
However, one aspect of the movie that has taken audiences off guard is the simple fact that it is the first part of a two-part saga, making it technically an incomplete story.
One of the casualties of breaking up the film into two parts one its top-billed stars, Zendaya, only appears for seven minutes total in the first installment.
However, as LA Times explains, the actor will be featured much more prominently in the second film.
While the first film in Denis Villeneuve’s planned duology only covers the first two-thirds of Frank Herbert’s classic novel, Zendaya’s Chani character is formally introduced in the book immediately prior to the final action scene. So there is an explanation for it.
Villeneuve said in a recent interview that the studio was on board with splitting the movie up into two parts at the time.
“I didn’t have to fight for this idea…I just said to them, ‘Guys, the story is so rich, so complex, it takes all its strength from its details and its poetry. I truly think to do justice to the book, we should do it in two parts.’ And they immediately said yes,” Villeneuve told LA Times.
While splitting the movie up into two parts made sense to the director and studio, and it obviously was a winning gambit in the end since the movie’s sequel is officially a go, that’s of little solace to Zendaya stans across the Twittersphere.
At least it’s a fierce seven minutes.
Can we see that vision again please?
To be fair, the credits was one of the main characters.
Who reads books anymore?
She owns it!
He protec. He attac. He got Zendaya’s back.
You can see Dune right now in theaters or HBO Max.