One of the things that the audience took out after watching Dune is that Zendaya's Chani doesn't have much screen time. But it shouldn't alarm anyone as a sequel is already officially on the go and the character is expected to have a much larger role in the follow-up, just like in the source material.
Per Screen Rant, in an interview with Deadline, Zendaya gave a tease about Chani having a more significant role in the sequel and shared her experience during the making of the film. She said, "I want to grow with the characters I play, and with the people that I get to learn from. Anybody who has read the books knows there’s so much more to explore and deal with. What was cool for me having not been around for much of the first shoot was getting to see the movie from a completely fresh perspective, because I hadn’t seen the sets and the scenes for most of the movie. And watching it felt like just the beginning of this story."
If you have read the novel, you'll know that Chani will have a huge role in the back half of the story so it shouldn't be at least surprising that Zendaya didn't have much screen time in the first film. But even with her limited presence, she still gave a memorable performance and fans are looking forward to seeing more of her in the sequel.
Despite some doubts before the release of the film, it had a very solid success at the box office and received positive responses from both critics and the audience. The studio was happy with the results enough that they gave an official green light on the sequel. It is also expected to be a major contender this coming awards season, especially in the technical and craft categories.
Also Read: Dune Director Confirms Fan Favorite Character Will Be Part of Sequel
Dune is still showing in theaters and is set to return for a limited IMAX run starting December 3.