All eyes on Zendaya’s futuristic look at ‘Dune: Part 2’ premiere

Zendaya turned heads at the Dune: Part 2 world premiere in London on Thursday, donning a chrome bodysuit from a 1995 Mugler Couture collection. The futuristic ensemble, in line with the film’s theme starring Zendaya, showcased shiny sleeves, gloves, and pants over clear plastic, complemented by a substantial diamond necklace.

As per Vogue, Mugler’s original Fall/Winter show “was memorable more for its performance by James Brown; its cameos by the likes of Tippi Hedren, Patty Hearst, and Veruschka; and its rather liberal use of fetishistic latex.” The description goes on to describe the collection as a “frightening and tantalizing image for the dawn of the Internet age, and a fitting end for this list of the nineties’ most unforgettable fashion shows.”

The desert planet Arrakis came to London’s Leicester Square on Thursday as the star-studded Dune: Part Two, the second instalment of the sci-fi epic featuring Timothee Chalamet and Zendaya, rolled into town for the movie’s world premiere.

Canadian director Denis Villeneuve takes audiences back to Arrakis for his follow-up to 2021’s Dune, with Chalamet’s lead character Paul Atreides joining forces with Zendaya’s Chani and the Arrakis locals, called the Fremen, to seek revenge against those who killed his father.

Set in a future where noble families rule planetary fiefs, the franchise is based on author Frank Herbert’s highly acclaimed 1965 novel of the same name. It tackles politics, religion, the fight for precious resources and the environment.

“The first movie was a bit of homework for the audience that they had to learn about this world…there was a lot of back story, that’s done. Now the second one was more cinematic fun for me,” Villeneuve told Reuters at the London premiere, which featured a desertscape set-up and is the latest in several promotional stops for the movie. “Much more difficult but much more fun to do.”

With its sweeping landscapes and dark mood, critics lauded the first film in reviews as a visual spectacle. Dune: Part Two sees actor Rebecca Ferguson return as Paul’s mother Jessica and Javier Bardem as Fremen leader Stilgar, and also features new additions, Elvis star Austin Butler as the villainous Feyd-Rautha and Oppenheimer actor Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan.

“I stepped into a world that I already was enamoured with,” Pugh said of joining the franchise. “It was a dream, I mean to be a part of a cast like this,” Butler said, adding that playing a villain was “quite fun. “I had the opportunity to see Dune… which I thought was a masterpiece. I felt so privileged to be a part of this one.”

Dune: Part Two, whose release was pushed back from late last year because of the Hollywood actors’ strike, begins its global cinema roll-out on February 28.

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