Zendaya Sets Best Actress Oscar Campaign for Dune: Part 3

Zendaya will reportedly campaign in the Best Actress category for her role as Chani in Dune: Part III in the upcoming Oscars race. This move marks a shift from the first two films, where she was positioned in supporting actress roles, a decision that reflects Chani’s expanded role in the story. This larger, different role for Zendaya’s character in Dune: Part III has not gone unnoticed. IGN’s Jesse Schedeen recently wrote that everything seen of Dune: Part Three so far suggests Chani is playing a vastly different role compared to the source material (Frank Herbert’s book Dune Messiah). Her status quo is completely different; she isn’t Paul’s faithful concubine, pining for the day she can proudly bear his children. She’s rejected Paul and everything he stands for, preferring instead to live as a true Fremen, totally free and a servant to no one.