The niche population that felt a little ripped off that Zendaya wasn’t even in the first Dune movie that much is in luck: the Emmy winner is all over the new trailer for Dune: Part Two. No longer just a mysterious girl in a vision, Chani has graduated to being Paul’s (Timothée Chalamet) love interest and a fully-fledged Fremen fighter in her own right.
“Your blood comes from dukes and great houses. Here, we’re equal,” she explains before the pair share a kiss. But it isn’t all romantic interludes for these two—they’re on the frontlines of a war, loading each other’s guns and making impassioned speeches to their comrades in arms. “This prophecy is how they enslave us,” a fired-up Chani at one point addresses the crowd, a message that doesn’t bode well for the future of their relationship.
Meanwhile, Paul is having new visions. “I see possible futures all at once. And in so many futures, our enemies prevail. But I do see a way—there is a narrow way through,” he narrates mysteriously. There are also some intimidating (and highly anticipated) newcomers in the mix, including Emperor Shaddam IV (Christopher Walken), his daughter Princess Irulan (Florence Pugh), and Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen (Austin Butler). Butler and his bald head are looking particularly villainous, licking knives and also killing people with them.
“Dune: Part Two will explore the mythic journey of Paul Atreides as he unites with Chani and the Fremen while on a path of revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family,” reads a synopsis for the film, directed by Denis Villeneuve. “Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the known universe, he endeavors to prevent a terrible future only he can foresee.”
After a bit of moving around, the release date for Dune: Part Two is now March 1, 2024. The film also stars Rebecca Ferguson, Javier Bardem, Léa Seydoux, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista.