Zendaya to Be Promoted for Best Lead Actress Oscar for Third Dune Film

Chani appears to have a much larger role in the final part of Denis Villeneuve’s trilogy.

According to Variety, Zendaya will be campaigned for the Best Actress Oscar for playing Chani in Dune: Part Three. In the awards campaigns for the first two films, the actress was submitted in the Best Supporting Actress category.

The change presumably reflects Chani’s greater importance to the story, though no official reason for the switch has been given. Dune: Part Three is set 17 years after the events of the previous film. Paul Atreides has become Emperor Muad’Dib and must now face the consequences of his rule, along with a conspiracy that threatens his power.

Besides Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya, Florence Pugh, Rebecca Ferguson, Jason Momoa and Javier Bardem return to their roles, and Robert Pattinson plays Scytale. Dune: Part Three opens in wide release on December 18, 2026.