Zendaya is set to campaign for a Best Actress Oscar nomination for her role as Chani in Denis Villeneuve's sci-fi epic Dune: Part Three, according to multiple sources who spoke to Variety. The move would reposition an actress who was placed in the supporting category for the first two films of the franchise, and it signals a larger part for Chani in the concluding chapter.
The shift is significant for the franchise as well as for Zendaya. Villeneuve's first two Dune films were major Oscar contenders, earning 15 nominations and winning eight awards, yet neither film received consideration for any acting categories. A nomination for Zendaya in the lead race would therefore be the first acting recognition for the series this awards season, and it would mark her first Oscar nomination of any kind. Her representatives declined to comment to Variety on the reported change.
The campaign arrives during a busy stretch for the 30-year-old actress. She opened 2026 starring opposite Robert Pattinson in the romantic dark comedy The Drama, directed by Kristoffer Borgli, playing a literary editor who uncovers shocking secrets, and that performance will also be submitted in the lead category. She also played Athena in Christopher Nolan's mythological adaptation The Odyssey, where she is expected to seek supporting recognition, and she reprised her role as MJ in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Her accolades so far include two Primetime Emmys and a Golden Globe for the HBO series Euphoria.
Dune: Part Three is the final film directed by Villeneuve in the saga and is adapted from Frank Herbert's novel Dune Messiah. The story is set nearly two decades after Paul Atreides, played by Timothée Chalamet, seized control of the Imperium, and it finds Paul as a ruthless emperor facing the consequences of his reign. The cast also includes Jason Momoa, Florence Pugh, Rebecca Ferguson, Anya Taylor-Joy, Robert Pattinson, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Charlotte Rampling and Isaach de Bankolé. Warner Bros. will release the film in theaters and IMAX on December 18, 2026.
The reported campaign is for Oscar consideration rather than a nomination, and the final category placement will depend on how the studio and the Academy treat the film. Best Actress is already expected to be crowded, and the decision to campaign in the lead category for a December sci-fi spectacle is not a standard path. Any nomination will ultimately depend on how the film is received once audiences see it.