Jenna Ortega talked about auditioning for a role in the ‘Dune’ franchise years ago during her recent appearance on Buzzfeed’s Puppy Interview to promote the upcoming ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.’
“I auditioned for ‘Dune’ when I was about fifteen,” she shared. “I remember just being a big fan of that film and the franchise and everything like that, and being really excited for that interview, because Denis [Villeneuve] is one of my favorite filmmakers.”
“I think it was Chani. I think it was Zendaya’s… but they weren’t saying that. Everything was very secret,” the actress added about the role she tried out for.
The sequel to Denis Villeneuve’s 2021 film, adapted from Frank Herbert’s book series, came out in February 2024. Zendaya reprised her role as the rebellious Fremen warrior alongside Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides.
The director confirmed working on a script for the third film shortly before the release of ‘Dune: Part Two’ but later avoided giving details about the project.
“I do not like to comment on ‘Dune Messiah’ because I’m writing it, and when I’m writing, I love to shut up because it’s a very delicate time where things are fragile, ideas evolve,” he told Den of Geek in March. “I like to talk about movies when they are alive, finished, and strong enough to walk by themselves. ‘Dune Messiah’ is barely an embryo.”
Rumors say that the third ‘Dune’ film will see release on December 18, 2026, because Warner Bros. currently holds that date for an unnamed movie’s release.
