Zendaya strutted into Los Angeles Saturday night like she owned the place (and let’s be honest, she kinda does), rocking a monochrome ensemble so chic it probably made other outfits in the room cry. The 28-year-old superstar was the main attraction at a double feature screening of her 2024 movies, Dune: Part Two and Challengers, hosted as part of an FYC awards contention event. Because, duh, Oscars love a good Zendaya moment.
Not content to just show up and smize for the cameras, Zendaya also took to the stage, where she presumably melted hearts while dropping wisdom about both projects. She was joined by Dune mastermind Denis Villeneuve, who probably whispered, “We did that,” every time the audience swooned.
But wait, there’s more! Denis, clearly on a Zendaya-Chalamet appreciation tour, spilled the tea at another event earlier in the day about the on-screen and off-screen bond between Zendaya and Timothée Chalamet. Spoiler alert: their chemistry didn’t just happen; it’s been brewing like the world’s fanciest artisanal coffee.
“They met in Part One, briefly, and poof! instant friendship,” Denis shared at the Deadline Contenders Film event. “Then, during the promo tour, it evolved into something deeper—like BFF goals deep. For me, it was a dream because Jon and I built the entire story on their connection. It’s all about Paul and Chani’s love: its birth, its challenges, and, of course, the political drama trying to ruin everything like a nosy HOA.”
Denis also admitted he bet all his directorial chips on their vibes. “It was do-or-die with their chemistry,” he said, probably sweating bullets at the memory of that gamble. “If they didn’t click, I’d be the guy who sank a sci-fi epic with bad vibes. But thankfully, they crushed it.”
Zendaya continues to prove she’s the queen of pulling off double features, dazzling audiences, and having friendships so pure they inspire directors to take risks like it’s Vegas on a Saturday night. If awards season doesn’t bow down to her this year, we riot.
