MAJOR SPOILERS are ahead for Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part 2, now playing in theaters.
The ending of Dune: Part 2 is here, and despite all the major deaths, nothing hurt more than Timothée Chalamet’s Paul Atreides proverbially stabbing Zendaya’s Chani in the back during its conclusion. During the grand finale for the sequel, Paul Atreides takes his place as the Fremen’s messiah and demands that Florence Pugh’s Princess Irulan take his hand in marriage in order to strengthen the houses. In light of the ending, CinemaBlend asked Zendaya and Pugh to weigh in on Paul’s decisions.
The Dune conclusion is especially gutting after seeing Paul and Chani form a romantic connection as he learns the way of the desert from the Fremen and becomes accepted as one of their people. After Paul declared to Chani “I will love you as long as I breathe,” how could he do this to her? Here’s what Pugh and Zendaya told us:
Florence Pugh: (The audience is) going to want to kill him.
Zendaya: I agree! I’m on her side. You know, there’s betrayal. There’s heartbreak. And especially when you build trust … or you think you’re building trust with someone. And someone ensures you of something and earns their way in, it can feel like manipulation. So I think, like I said, I’m on her side. Team Chani.
Florence Pugh: It’s sad. It’s deeply sad. I felt that, that day.
'Dune: Part Two' Interviews With Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh And More
May thy knife chip and shatter, because Florence Pugh and Zendaya’s hearts sure are right with us after the events of the latest of 2024's movies. Both actors shared they are not in agreement with the way Paul Atreides handled himself in the final act of the sequel. Pugh believes audiences are going to be super mad at the protagonist and Zendaya chimed in to say she’s “Team Chani” all the way!
Pugh also shared that she really “felt” the heartbreak of the scene when Paul Atreides choses to fulfill the prophecy rather than defy it as Chani initially hoped he would. It’s a tragic ending for the couple, and Chani specifically as she put her trust in a man that ultimately betrayed her. Of course, the whole plotline of Dune was already written within the pages of Frank Herbert’s classic 1965 novel that would go on to inspire the Star Wars movies.
Following the finale, here’s hoping the Dune: Part 2 cast returns for the third and final part of the story, an adaptation of Dune: Messiah. The next chapter of Dune takes place many years following the events of Part 2 and sees some additional tension between Paul, Princess Irulan and Chani. Director Denis Villeneuve has shared his hopes to make another sequel, and with what’s predicted for the opening weekend box office for Part 2, we imagine that’s a distinct possibility. We’ll keep you updated here on CinemaBlend about what’s next for Dune!
