Zendaya will campaign for Chani in the lead actress Oscar category this time, Variety reports, a switch from the supporting slot used for the first two Dune films.
Zendaya is going for best actress. According to an exclusive from Variety, which cites multiple sources, she will be campaigned in the lead category for her role as Chani in Dune: Part Three. That is a change from the first two films, where Chani was pushed as a supporting part.
Warner Bros. and Zendaya's representatives declined to comment, Variety reported, so for now this is a story about positioning rather than anything confirmed on the record.
Why the category matters
Category placement is one of the quieter decisions in awards season, and one of the most important. Variety ties the shift to Chani's bigger role in the final chapter. The film is set nearly two decades after Paul Atreides, played by Timothée Chalamet, took control of the Imperium. Paul is now a ruthless emperor facing old allies, new threats and a conspiracy, with Chani at the center of the mystery, per the outlet's summary.
Moving from supporting to lead also changes who she is up against, and it asks voters to treat a sci-fi sequel as a showcase performance. That's our read, not Variety's.
A busy year for Zendaya
The Dune move is only one of her options. Variety notes she may be in contention across several categories and films this season. Her turn as Emma Harwood in Kristoffer Borgli's romantic dark comedy The Drama, opposite Robert Pattinson, will also be submitted in lead. As Athena in Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, she would be in the supporting race alongside co-stars Anne Hathaway, Samantha Morton and Charlize Theron.
She also returned as MJ in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which Variety describes as a billion-dollar hit that now ranks among the highest-grossing films of all time.
Her trophy shelf already includes two Emmys for Euphoria, which made her the youngest two-time winner in the lead drama actress category, according to Variety. She also won a Golden Globe in 2023 for the same role and earned two Golden Globe nominations for Challengers in 2025.
What to watch next
Warner Bros. will release Dune: Part Three in theaters and Imax on Dec. 18, which means voters will see it close to the end of the year. In our view, two lead submissions from one actress could split attention, so how the studios handle it will be worth watching. Warner Bros. has declined to comment, and a campaign plan can change before ballots go out.
Picture credit: Warner Bros. / Legendary (dunemovie.com)
