Despite being at the helm of a highly-anticipated science-fiction epic, “Dune: Part Two” director Denis Villeneuve didn’t actually have the most complex instructions for his actors.
In fact, Zendaya explained that when it came to her performance as Chani in the film, Villeneuve just wanted her to “do some sci-fi s—t.”
During an interview with BBC Radio 1 out Thursday, the actress reflected on her time filming the sequel and revealed her all-time favorite piece of advice she’d received from the director.
“One of my favorite Denis words, or Denis phrases, is ‘Sci-fi s—t.’ He’s like, ‘It’s going to be ‘sci-fi s—t,’” Zendaya said, explaining that the massive flying aircrafts named ornithopters don’t actually exist, which can be challenging to act against.
“There’s an ornithopter, and you know, it’s not — it doesn’t work. Hate to burst the bubble, but it’s not practical. But I have to land it and get out of it and there’s buttons, but they don’t do anything. So I’m like, ‘What do you want me to do?’ And he’s, ‘Just, sci-fi s—t.’ Like, make it look cool, hit some buttons, pull the thing and then get out.’ And I was like, ‘Sci-fi s—t.’”
Her castmate Florence Pugh, who plays Princess Irulan, then chimed in saying that Zendaya probably heard spacey sounds in her mind after Villeneuve’s instructions.
“And you’re like, ‘Beep, boop, beep, boop, beep,’” Pugh joked, to which Zendaya replied, “Literally, in my head, ‘Sci-fi s—t.’”
The second installment of Villeneuve’s science-fiction epic also stars Timothée Chalamet, Austin Butler, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Christopher Walken and more. It premieres in theaters March 1.