The Dune Part Three Oscar campaign may have a new leading lady. Zendaya will campaign for Oscar consideration in the lead actress category for her role as Chani in Dune: Part Three, according to an exclusive report from Variety.
Variety’s report rests on unnamed sources. The outlet says “multiple sources tell Variety” about the plan. Warner Bros. and representatives for Zendaya declined to comment. So this is a reported plan, not an official announcement, and we are treating it that way.
What Variety reported about the Dune Part Three Oscar plan
Here is the core of the story, as Variety reported it:
- Zendaya will campaign in lead actress for Chani in Dune: Part Three, the final chapter of Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi epic.
- That is a shift. In the first two films, her campaigns targeted supporting actress.
- The decision reflects Chani’s expanded role in the story.
According to Variety, the story picks up nearly two decades after Paul Atreides seized control of the Imperium, with Chani “at the heart of its unfolding mystery.” The cast also includes Jason Momoa, Florence Pugh, Rebecca Ferguson, Anya Taylor-Joy, Robert Pattinson, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Charlotte Rampling and Isaach de Bankolé.
Warner Bros. will release the film in theaters and Imax on December 18, per Variety.
A busy awards season for Zendaya
Variety framed the move as part of a big year for the 30-year-old actor, who it said “could find herself in contention across multiple categories and films this season.” The outlet listed three other 2026 films:
- The Drama, the romantic dark comedy from writer-director Kristoffer Borgli, opposite Robert Pattinson. Variety reported that this performance will also go up in lead.
- The Odyssey, Christopher Nolan’s mythological adaptation, in which she plays Athena. Variety said she will vie for supporting actress for that role.
- Spider-Man: Brand New Day, in which she reprised her role as MJ.
If Variety’s sources are right, Zendaya will campaign in lead for two films and in supporting for a third. Variety did not report a category for Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and campaign plans can change before nominations.
Her record so far
Variety also laid out her awards history. She won two Emmys for playing Rue in Euphoria, becoming the youngest two-time winner in the lead drama actress category. She won a Golden Globe in 2023 for the same role. In 2025, she earned two Golden Globe nominations for Challengers, one for lead actress in a comedy and one as a producer.
An Oscar nomination this year would be her first, Variety noted.
What we do not know yet
Several things remain unconfirmed. The studio has not commented, and neither have Zendaya’s representatives. Nominations are still months away. Until then, any Dune Part Three Oscar prediction is a guess, and we are not making one.
Our take
In our opinion, the logic is easy to follow. Lead and supporting are campaign choices, and a bigger role makes a lead case simpler to argue. We will update readers when Warner Bros. or Zendaya’s team says anything on the record.
Meanwhile, December 18 looks crowded. Avengers: Doomsday opens the same day, as we noted in our Chris Pratt Star-Lord story. For more from this month’s awards-season carpets, see our red carpet roundup.