It’s one of the most-anticipated films of the year and after being delayed, Dune finally had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on Friday.
Zendaya turned heads with her leather Balmain custom-made gown which she accessorised with a statement necklace that featured a 93-carat emerald inside the jaws of a snake encrusted in diamonds and emeralds.
Her co-star Timothee Chalamet made a stylish statement of his own, showing up in a Haider Ackermann look featuring a power shouldered top and trousers covered in black crystals. He also sported Cartier rings and bracelet, as well as a vintage brooch he attached to his sleeve for an offbeat final touch.
Rebecca Ferguson also stunned in a striking nude ruffle gown at the star-studded night.
The remake of the 1984 science fiction epic stars Chalamet, Zendaya, Ferguson and Oscar Issac and is directed by Denis Villeneuve. Almost the entire cast made their way to Venice for the premiere, which ended with a seven-minute standing ovation.
Although early reviews have been more mixed, The National gave Dune five stars and called it “one of the greatest sci-films of our time.”
Dune is set on Arrakis, an inhospitable fictional planet that is home to the galaxy's most prized resource, a life-extending drug named "spice". The film revolves around a young royal who not only has to battle hostile native creatures to mine spice, but also uphold his family's stewardship of the land against other interstellar noble houses.
The film, helmed by Villeneuve, is the second silver-screen adaptation of the Hugo Award-winning novel, following David Lynch's much-criticised 1984 take. Villeneuve's version will tell the story across two films.
"I would not agree to make this adaptation of the book with one single movie," the director told Variety. "The world is too complex. It's a world that takes its power in details."
Dune was the first book in Frank Herbert's multilayered saga, which eventually resulted in five sequels and has also spawned video games, board games and a series of follow-up books, co-written by the author's son, Brian Herbert.
