“Not right away—Legendary had the rights and was developing it—but as soon as Denis got involved, I set up a Google alert and that’s when I got the book,” Chalamet said. “In total honesty, I think my understanding of ‘Dune’ at that point was from a graphic novel I’d seen at Midtown Comics when I was shopping for ‘Yu-Gi-Oh!’ cards when I was about 10.”
Chalamet immersed himself in “Dune” for the sole purpose of wanting to work with Villeneuve, a filmmaker he long admired. The two briefly met at the 2018 BAFTA Film Awards. The actor said, “I kept trying to put myself in front of him, but I didn’t really get a sense of the possibility [of working with him].” “I was about halfway through the [‘Dune’] book when I got the call that [Villeneuve] was going to be the president of the jury at the Cannes Film Festival, and I was in London prepping ‘The King,’” Chalamet continued. “He asked me if I could come out there, so I quickly busted through the second half of the book as best I could. So, like, the first half of my copy is properly annotated and full of my thoughts, and then the second half I just raced through. And then I had that meeting with him, and it was such a joy.” “Dune” is designed to be the first installment in a two-part adaptation of Herbert’s book, meaning Chalamet is expected to return if the movie is successful enough to warrant its intended follow-up. The actor is already looking forward to “Dune: Part Two” for the same reason Denis Villeneuve is excited for it: A bigger role for Zendaya. “Chani will play a huge role in the next film. I don’t know if there’s a script yet, but just based on the book, along with Lady Jessica [Rebecca Fergusson], they have a lot to do together, let’s put it like that,” Chalamet said. “And Zendaya was incredible in this movie; the moment she pulls the mask down, it felt properly showstopping and powerful. I was hiding behind the camera, counting my lucky stars, because I was there in month two of the shoot and here was a total powerhouse just coming in for the first time.” “Dune” opens in theaters and HBO Max on October 22. Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.
