Denis Villeneuve reveals how Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya's growing friendship elevated 'Dune 2'

During a panel at the 'Contenders Los Angeles' event, Dune: Part Two director Denis Villeneuve shared fascinating insights into the evolving chemistry between stars Timothee Chalamet and Zendaya, and how their offscreen friendship played a vital role in bringing the iconic relationship between Paul Atreides and Chani to life on the big screen.

Villeneuve explained that, from the outset, the bond between Chalamet and Zendaya was something he could not overlook, as it would be a driving force for the success of the film's central romance, reported Deadline.

The two actors, who had a brief introduction in the first Dune instalment, quickly became close friends during the promotional campaign for the movie, and their connection only deepened as production of Part Two progressed.

"They met each other in Part One, briefly, and spontaneously they became friends," Villeneuve recalled on Saturday, adding, "As we did the promotional tour, their relationship became, let's say, a deeper meaning - they're close friends. And for me, it's a tremendous help, of course, because Jon [Spaihts, screenwriter] and I had structured the whole story on their relationship through the birth of the love between Paul and Chani, then the struggle of this love with the pressure from the outside, from the politics, and then the break."

• When Vikrant Massey sold a phone to save the day in Goa