Zendaya looked every inch the glamorous movie star while attending the premiere of Dune: Part Two in New York City on Sunday.
The Euphoria star, 27, turned heads in a stunning white dress with a unique cutout that revealed her navel.
The actress, who recently admitted that it’s “strange” to kiss her co-star and friend Timothee Chalamet, 28, in the film, exuded effortless charm in the couture dress adorned with gold embellishments around the hem.
She let her natural beauty take center stage by opting for minimal makeup and wearing her brunette locks long and loose as they cascaded over her shoulders.
Zendaya led a cavalcade of stars at the red carpet event, joined by Timothee, Florence Pugh, Anya Taylor-Joy, Sofia Carson, Austin Butler and more.
Zendaya looked every inch the glamorous movie star while attending the premiere of Dune: Part Two in New York City on Sunday.
The Euphoria star, 27, turned heads in a stunning white dress with a unique cutout that revealed her navel.
Florence took over the star-studded event in a silver goddess gown, twirling the fabric in the air on the red carpet at one point.
The actress, newcomer to Dune, will play Princess Irulan, the Emperor’s daughter.
Chalamet, who wore an all-leather ensemble, will reprise his role as Paul Atreides, the heir to the now decimated House Atreides.
Abandoned with his mother on the desert world of Arakis, Paul faces the rise of House Harkonnen, the perpetrators of the slaughter of his family, who are now taking control of the planet’s valuable natural resources.
In the first film, Zendaya made a brief appearance as Chani, a member of the desert-dwelling Fremen tribe.
His character plays a crucial role in teaching Paul how to survive in the harsh environment of Arakis.
Together, they work to lead their people in a rebellion against the galactic forces seeking to colonize their planet.
Her co-star Austin Butler arrived in a white tuxedo jacket, a long black tie, and black pants.
She let her natural beauty take center stage by opting for minimal makeup.
Austin Butler, sporting a white tuxedo jacket, joined Zendaya on the red carpet.
Zendaya, Timothee Chalamet, Austin and Denis Villeneuve posed together for an incredible group photo
The Elvis star completed the look with black boots.
Butler is a newcomer and will play Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, Baron Harkonnen’s young nephew and planned successor as ruler of Arrakis.
The role was previously played by Sting in the 1984 version of David Lynch’s Dune.
Josh Brolin, 55, was also present and looked handsome in a black suit.
In addition to Zendaya, Chalamet, Pugh and Butler, the cast includes Javier Bardem, Christopher Walken, Stellan Skarsgard, Dave Bautista, Lea Seydoux, Rebecca Ferguson and more.
Zendaya and Timothee recently talked about how “strange” it is to kiss in the movie.
They have been good friends since they began working on the first blockbuster Dune movie in 2019.
Timothee shared that it was “very strange” when they finally had to kiss on camera for the long-awaited Dune: Part Two.
The Call Me By Your Name star and actress spoke with Entertainment tonight about the discomfort of playing romantic leads when they were already good “platonic” friends.
The co-stars also had to deal with the added complications of having other romantic partners, as Zendaya is currently dating Spider-Man star Tom Holland, while Timothée has lately been romancing Jenner.
“It’s definitely weird,” Zendaya said of their on-screen kisses. “I think we both thought, ‘Okay. This is our job. “Okay, let’s do this.”
Timothee went further, calling the intimate display “strange as hell” because the two are “very close, platonically.”
“In the scope of the movie, that’s totally what’s happening, but I also feel like we’re so close now that it really is like another day at work,” he added.
Florence, Christopher Walken and Lea Seydoux were quite a trio
The Little Women actor joked: “I don’t know what that says about the nature of our jobs, but it’s just another day at work.”
Zendaya credited the film’s director and co-writer, Denis Villeneuve, for helping them navigate the difficult terrain and balancing their more intimate scenes with the grand scope of Dune’s plot, rather than simply adding a love story.
“In this specific love story, I think we’re very grateful to have Denis at the helm of something so special,” she said. “He always found a way to, somehow, among all the epic that is the Dune universe, find a way to forge a beautiful and very sentimental love story that, in my opinion, is deserved in many ways.”
Dune: Part Two was originally intended to be released on October 20, 2023 before being delayed to November 17 and then March 15, 2024, due to the SAG-AFTRA actors’ strike.
After multiple delays, the film will hit theaters on March 1, 2024.
The sci-fi sequel, directed by Denis Villeneuve, is being co-produced with Legendary Entertainment in addition to Warner Bros. Film Group.
Dune: Part One and Part Two are based on the novel of the same name by Frank Herbert, which was originally published in 1965.
The official logline for Dune: Part 2 reads: “Paul faces a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the known universe, and strives to avoid a terrible future that only he can foresee.”
One of the first attempts to adapt the novel into a film was led by director Alejandro Jodorowsky, and although the project was ultimately cancelled, his efforts were documented in the 2013 film Jodorowsky’s Dune.
David Lynch went on to direct an adaptation of Dune, which was critically panned upon its release in 1984.
Villeneuve joined remakes of the project in 2016, and Dune: Part One was finally released in 2021.
The feature received positive reviews from critics and currently has an 83% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Dune: Part One also won six of the ten Academy Awards for which it was nominated, including Best Cinematography, Best Original Score, and Best Sound.
The film’s sequel was not formally greenlit until after the release of the first film, although it was put into production just days after the debut of Dune: Part One.
Filming for the film took place from July to December last year, and took place in locations including Budapest and Abu Dhabi.
Villeneuve has also expressed his desire to direct a third feature film in the series, which would be based on Herbert’s 1969 novel Dune Messiah.
