Chalamet and Zendaya fever hits Dune 2 premiere

Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya fever gripped London on Thursday night as the Hollywood heartthrobs hit the red carpet for the world premiere of their new movie, Dune: Part Two.

Huge crowds of adoring fans queued for hours to see them, and were screaming their names as they walked in.

Florence Pugh and Austin Butler were also among the star-studded cast celebrating the launch of the film.

The long-awaited sequel was originally set to premiere last autumn.

The release date had been pushed back due to the Hollywood actors and writers strikes, which plagued the industry for much of last year.

"It's a massive relief to finally put the movie out there," director Denis Villeneuve told BBC News. He added he will be "biting his nails" until the film actually hits cinemas next month.

The epic sci-fi film is based on the novel Dune by Frank Herbert, which was released in 1965 and has won numerous awards.

It follows the journey of Paul Atreides (Chalamet) as he unites with his love interest, Chani (Zendaya), and the Fremen desert people to take on a huge enemy army.

In the sequel, Chalamet's character learns the ways of surviving on the barren desert planet while seeking revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family.

The world of Dune can be quite confusing for those unfamiliar with the books. It is full of mystical prophecies, giant sandworms, and warring factions.

For many of the fans at Thursday's event in Leicester Square, the source material wasn't the main reason why they were there.

"I'm mostly excited to see Timothée Chalamet," said one excited fan. "I love him," another young girl clutching a cardboard cutout of Chalamet, declared.

Another fan told the BBC she was waiting for a glimpse of Zendaya, who drew audible gasps from the crowd when she finally appeared wearing a stunning metallic suit.

Chalamet rose to fame in 2017's Call Me By Your Name which at the time led to him becoming the youngest-ever Oscar nominee for best actor.

He has since become an internet sensation and the pin-up of choice for millennials and Generation Z.

In the UK, the 28-year-old recently earned himself a new fanbase, after he said in an interview that he found Hull's accent to be "sexy".

Zendaya, 27, is a well-known fashion icon and has built a loyal following starring roles in Spiderman with boyfriend Tom Holland and Dune: Part One.

There were also a lot of screams when the Masters of Air actor Butler walked in.

Best known for his award-winning portrayal of Elvis Presley in Baz Luhrmann's Elvis (2022), Butler has made his Dune debut as the bald, eyebrow-less villain Feyd-Rautha.

Also new to the Dune franchise is Oppenheimer actress Pugh, who stars as a new character Princess Irulan.

The star-studded cast also includes Mission Impossible star Rebecca Ferguson, who acts as Paul Atreides's mother, Christopher Walken, who portrays Emperor Shaddam, and Josh Brolin as General Gurney Halleck.

Expectations for Dune: Part Two are sky-high, after the huge success of the first instalment.

Dune: Part One, which was released in October 2021, garnered ten Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, and went on to win six awards, in cinematography, editing, score, visual effects, production design and sound.

It was also a box office success, earning more than $400m globally.

So great is the anticipation for the new film, it's even inspired a viral popcorn bucket, which has a lid in the shape of a sandworm.

It remains to be seen how audiences globally will respond to Dune: Part Two, but for fans who got to see their idols Chalamet, Zendaya and their co-stars at the premiere, this was the night they had been waiting for.

Dune 2 is out in UK cinemas on 1 March 2024.