'Dune 2' creator reveals secret behind Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya's chemistry

Dune: Part Two creator Denis Villeneuve spilled the secret behind the powerful onscreen chemistry of the leading stars: Timothee Chalamet and Zendaya.

Deadline reported on Saturday, November 16, that during the Dune: Part Two panel, the filmmaker, alongside screenwriter Jon Spaihts, revealed how the off-screen bond between Chalamet and Zendaya, both 28, developed over the course of making the first film and its promotional duties.

"They met each other in Part One, briefly, and spontaneously they became friends," Villeneuve, 57, explained the fast friendship of the actors that eventually played a pivotal role, resulting in a natural and powerful on-screen chemistry in the sequel.

"And as we did the promotional tour, their relationship became, let’s say, a deeper meaning – they’re close friends. And for me, it’s tremendous help, of course," he continued. "All that, I need, so it was all about the chemistry between them – I had put all my chips on that."

"And so it was crucial that to capture that on-screen and bring that chemistry on camera," the Dune maker says of the actors who played star-crossed lovers Paul Atreides and Chani throughout the lengthy arc of two films.

Dune was released on October 22, 2021 meanwhile, its sequel, Dune: Part Two, hit the theaters on February 28, 2024.