Zendaya shares snap of Arrakis from ‘Dune’ set in UAE desert
American actress Zendaya gave fans a look at the UAE’s desert this week ahead of the release of her new movie, “Dune: Part Two.”
The star shared a picture of a sunset and the golden dunes on her Instagram story, with the caption: “I know I’ve been quiet, but I’m here, just working as usual … sending love from Arrakis.”
The sand dunes of Abu Dhabi will once again stand in as the desert planet Arrakis in Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of Frank Herbert’s bestselling novel.
Zendaya plays the role of Chani, the daughter of imperial planetologist Liet-Kynes and his Fremen wife Faroula, in the action-packed movie.
She is a member of the Fremen, who are the inhabitants of Arrakis.
Earlier this year, Legendary Entertainment, the producers of the multi-Academy Awardwinning film “Dune” confirmed that the team behind it would return to Liwa desert in Abu
Dhabi to shoot the highly anticipated sequel.
“Dune has again provided us with an exciting opportunity to associate the emirate with another global movie franchise,” Mohamed Khalifa Al-Mubarak, chairman of both the Department of Culture and Tourism for Abu Dhabi and twofour54 Abu Dhabi, said in an earlier statement.
The movie “will allow us to entice enthusiastic fans and audience members to visit the landscapes which they have seen on screen,” he added.
Villeneuve returns in the director’s chair for the sequel alongside his co-scriptwriters Eric Roth and Jon Spaiths.
Oscar nominee Timothee Chalamet returns to lead the cast as Paul Atreides. He will once again be joined by Rebecca Ferguson and Javier Bardem, among others.
New cast members include “Elvis” star Austin Butler, Christopher Walken, Florence Pugh, Lea Seydoux and Souheila Yacoub.
The UAE was not the only Arab country to play a starring role in the first “Dune” film. Some of the desert shots were filmed in Wadi Rum in Jordan.