Director Luca Guadagnino shares how Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya gave him a peek at the Dune: Part 2 set. Guadagnino and Chalamet’s Bones and All hit theaters on November 18, their second collaboration after 2017’s Call Me By Your Name, which brought both critical acclaim and worldwide recognition. His upcoming film with Zendaya, Challengers, is set for an August 2023 release.

Guadagnino relays the story to Rotten Tomatoes of how he visited the set of Dune 2 in Budapest alongside stars Chalamet and Zendaya. He expresses amazement at the scale of the set, remarking on its “wonderful craft.” Chalamet jokes that Guadagnino tried to “etch his name” onto one of the helicopters, but wasn’t allowed. Check out the full quote below:

“I went to Budapest to meet [Zendaya] and Timmy and we were doing ADR for for [Zendaya] on Challengers and we did that on your background. And I went into the backlot and I saw a huge Dune set. I went there and I touched all there was, the helicopter. That was a moment in which I could see it must have been a wonderful craft. I mean, wow.”
Denis Villeneuve’s Commitment To Craftmanship Is A Key To Dune’s Success


The highly anticipated Dune sequel began filming in July. Taking place directly after the events of Part 1, the story will follow Paul (Chalamet) as he seeks revenge against the conspirators who destroyed House Atreides. The film sees the duke united with his love interest Chani (Zendaya) and the Fremen. Backed by the solid source material of the novel, fans are especially excited to see another round of what made the 2021 adaptation such a success.

Director, producer, and screenwriter Denis Villeneuve is largely credited with bringing Dune to life. Respected for his works like Arrival and Blade Runner 2049, Villeneuve interweaves full-bodied stories and sweeping effects to immerse viewers into the world of his science-fiction features. His meticulous balance of characterization, narrative, and visuals was on full display in Dune, creating the simmering tension felt in Paul’s troubling visions and his household’s downfall. Unsurprisingly, both the National Board of Review and the American Film Institute named Dune as one of the top ten films of the year.

A lot is riding on the upcoming sequel, as its success will determine whether Villeneuve will get to finish out or at least continue adapting the book series. He indicated an interest in an adaption of Dune Messiah, the third novel, in hopes that the possibility will come to fruition. If Guadagnino’s recounting tells us anything, it’s that Dune: Part 2 will be equally grand and gorgeous as its predecessor. In addition, it seems to promise that Zendaya — who previously lacked screen time — will play a greater role this time around.