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Zendaya in Dune Part Two
Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

Zendaya Opens Up About Heatstroke, Grueling Costumes, and the Fear of On-Set Mishaps While Filming Dune: Part Two

Hydration was a hassle on the set of Dune: Part Two

Between the wild success of Challengers and ongoing fanfare for her relationship with Tom Holland, Zendaya had quite the year in 2024. The actress went right from tennis choreography back to the sands of Dune, which she explained was a grueling experience.

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In a recent interview with W Magazine, Zendaya opened up about her recent roles, including the tough reality of filming on location in Jordan. The costumes for the movie involve plenty of tight, restrictive layers, making them heavy and difficult to move around in – not to mention get out of when you need to use the bathroom.

Indeed, bathroom breaks were one of many challenges Zendaya shared from her time on the set of Dune: Part Two. She describes struggling to balance staying hydrated with the challenges of hitting the bathroom, which required a long walk and up to 10 minutes to get out of the complicated costumes. She was so worried about these challenges that she actually wound up getting heatstroke on set – a lesson that, no matter how inconvenient using the bathroom might be, it’s still important to stay hydrated, especially when you’re filming in the desert heat.

Zendaya in Costume for Dune Part Two
Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

She comes by that need to keep close control of the situation on set honestly as a Virgo Sun sign. As Zendaya puts it, her Virgo vibe makes her a “controlling, perfectionist” who wants to do things herself. Clearly, that dedication has bled over into her acting work, if her impressive career is any indication.

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The actress isn’t yet 30 years old, but she has a number of credits to her name already. This comes from that impressive work ethic, but also from the fact that she has always felt older than her years. That’s part of how she relates to her Dune character Chani, who she says “had to become [an adult] early in life.”

In the first Dune film, viewers barely get to know Chani, who comes into the story relatively late into the movie despite playing a part in the main character’s vision from the beginning. The woman we meet is different from the ethereal vision – hardened, determined, and self-sufficient. While she only got about 7 minutes of screen time in the first film, Chani truly steps into her main character role in Dune: Part Two. This, no doubt, means Zendaya spent plenty more time in the heat filming those scenes on Arrakis.

Despite the challenges of filming, which included a bit of imposter syndrome for the actress when faced up with so many heavy hitters, Zendaya ultimately called filming Dune: Part Two a “special experience” in her BuzzFeed puppy interview. Hopefully, that experience was special enough to get her through the prospect of filming the third and final entry into the adaptation trilogy, which is set to release in late 2026.


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Author
Image of Amanda Kay Oaks
Amanda Kay Oaks
Contributing Writer
Amanda Kay Oaks has been a freelancer writer with The Escapist since February 2024. She's a lifelong gamer with an affinity for Pokemon, RPGs, and cozy games, especially The Sims. Amanda has an MFA in Creative Nonfiction, with prior work on pop culture and entertainment at Book Riot, Fanfare, and Gamepur.