- By Noor Nanji
- Cultural reporter
February 15, 2024
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Watch: Zendaya wears a full metal suit to the Dune premiere
Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya fever gripped London on Thursday evening as the Hollywood heartthrobs hit the red carpet for the world premiere of their new film Dune: Part Two.
Huge crowds of enthusiastic fans lined up for hours to see them, screaming their names as they entered.
Zendaya drew audible gasps from the crowd when she finally appeared in a stunning metal suit.
The long-awaited sequel was originally scheduled to premiere last fall.
Image source: Getty Images
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Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya star in the award-winning sci-fi blockbuster
The release date had been pushed back due to the strikes by Hollywood actors and writers that plagued the industry for much of the past year.
“It's a huge relief to finally release the film,” director Denis Villeneuve told BBC News. He added that he will “bite his nails” until the film actually hits theaters next month.
Florence Pugh and Austin Butler were also among the star-studded cast celebrating the film's release.
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The star-studded cast of Dune, including Rebecca Ferguson and Austin Butler, hit the red carpet in London on Thursday
The epic science fiction film is based on the 1965 novel “Dune” by Frank Herbert and won numerous awards, including the Hugo Award.
It follows the journey of Paul Atreides (Chalamet) as he reunites with his lover Chani (Zendaya) and the desert people of the Fremen as they face a massive enemy army.
In the sequel, Chalamet's character learns about his special way of surviving on the barren desert planet while seeking revenge on the conspirators who destroyed his family.
Chalamet admitted that he felt “a little pressure” to go through with the role given its critical and commercial success.
On the red carpet, the star said he was confident Dune: Part Three would follow. “I hope so, I hope so,” he shared.
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Timothée Chalamet takes a selfie with fans on the red carpet
The world of Dune can be quite confusing for those unfamiliar with the books. It is full of mystical prophecies, giant sandworms and warring factions.
But for many fans of Thursday's event in Leicester Square, the source material wasn't the main reason they were there.
“I'm most excited to see Timothée Chalamet,” said one excited fan. “I love him,” declared another young girl, holding a cardboard cutout of Chalamet.
Another fan told the BBC she was waiting to get a glimpse of Zendaya.
Chalamet rose to fame in 2017's “Call Me By Your Name,” which made him the youngest Best Actor Oscar nominee of all time at the time.
Since then, he has become an internet sensation and the favorite pin-up of Millennials and Generation Z.
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Elvis star Austin Butler is one of the main villains
Zendaya, 27, is a well-known fashion icon and has built a loyal fan base, starring alongside her boyfriend Tom Holland in Spiderman and Dune: Part One.
There was also a lot of shouting when Masters of Air actor Butler walked in, supported by his model girlfriend Kaia Gerber.
Best known for his award-winning portrayal of Elvis Presley in Baz Luhrmann's Elvis (2022), Butler made his Dune debut as the bald, eyebrowless villain Feyd-Rautha.
“It was so much fun playing this character,” Butler said. He added that he was a “big fan” of the book and the first film. “So it was just the time of my life to get into it.”
Image source: Getty Images
Also new to the Dune series is Oppenheimer actress Pugh, who plays the new character Princess Irulan.
“It's completely different to anything I've ever done before,” Pugh told BBC News when asked to compare the character to some of her other memorable roles.
“Still with the same wisdom and boldness, but everything muted, so maybe I could spread my wings in a different position, and I had to let Denis lead the way, and everyone in this cast is very lucky to have done that. “
The star-studded cast also includes Mission Impossible star Rebecca Ferguson, who plays Paul Atreides' mother, and Josh Brolin as General Gurney Halleck.
Christopher Walken, who portrays Emperor Shaddam, is another new face in the sequel, but was not at the London premiere.
Great expectations
Expectations for “Dune: Part Two” are sky high after the great success of the first part.
“Dune: Part One,” which hit theaters in October 2021, received 10 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, and went on to win six awards in cinematography, editing, score, visual effects, production design and sound.
It was also a box office success, grossing more than $400 million worldwide.
The anticipation for the new film is so great that people are actually excited a viral popcorn bucketwhich has a lid shaped like a sandworm.
It remains to be seen how audiences worldwide will react to Dune: Part Two, but for fans who got to see their idols Chalamet, Zendaya and their co-stars at the premiere, this was the night they'd been waiting for.
Dune 2 hits UK cinemas on March 1, 2024.