Zendaya to Campaign for Best Actress Oscar With Dune: Part Three

Zendaya is positioning her performance as Chani in "Dune: Part Three" for lead-actress Oscar consideration, according to reporting first published by Variety and confirmed by multiple outlets on October 23, 2026. In the first two films, 2021's "Dune" and 2024's "Dune: Part Two," she had been submitted in the supporting-actress category.

Why the category changed

The shift follows an expanded role for Chani in the trilogy's final installment. Zendaya and director Denis Villeneuve have both previously said that Chani and Paul Atreides grow apart after Paul's rise as a messianic figure in "Part Two," a storyline that gives Chani a larger presence in "Part Three" than the character has in Frank Herbert's source novels.

Warner Bros.' official synopsis describes Paul Atreides, years after taking the Imperial throne, as a "ruthless emperor" confronting political conspiracies and the consequences of his power, with Chani at the center of the story's unfolding mystery.

A three-film awards push

Zendaya's 2026 awards strategy extends beyond "Dune: Part Three." She is also being submitted for lead actress for A24's "The Drama," and for supporting actress as Athena in Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey." Awards-tracking site Gold Derby lists Anne Hathaway and Samantha Morton among the contenders in that supporting-actress race. She is not pursuing awards consideration for her role in "Spider-Man: Brand New Day."

No acting nominations for Dune so far

The first two "Dune" films combined for 15 Oscar nominations and eight wins, largely in technical categories such as sound, visual effects and cinematography, plus a Best Picture nomination for "Part Two." Neither film produced an acting nomination for any cast member, at the Oscars or the Golden Globes. A nomination for Zendaya would mark the franchise's first in an acting category.

It would also be the first Oscar nomination of Zendaya's career. She has won two Primetime Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe for the HBO series "Euphoria," along with two additional Globe nominations, but has not previously been nominated for an Academy Award.

What is still unknown

As of the October 23, 2026 reports, awards-tracking site Gold Derby had not listed Zendaya in either the lead- or supporting-actress race. "Dune: Part Three" is set for release on December 17, 2026 in the UAE and December 18, 2026 in the United States, shortly before awards voting begins. The 99th Academy Awards ceremony is scheduled for March 14, 2027.

One report noted a recent Academy eligibility change permitting an actor to receive multiple nominations in the same category in a single year, a rule that could become relevant if Zendaya's performances in "Dune: Part Three" and "The Drama" both gain traction in the lead-actress race.