Dune 2: Zendaya says desert costumes 'like a Doc Marten'

Dune 2 star Zendaya says the costumes she had to wear while filming in the desert were like wearing "a Doc Marten".

The actress, 27, appears with close friend Timothée Chalamet in the long-awaited sci-fi sequel to the 2021 hit.

But she told 1Xtra that the elaborate armour the cast wore on set was "like one boot".

Speaking to breakfast show host Nadia Jae, Zendaya said that the costume took some breaking in.

"When you first put it on… your shoulders hurt like everything's been squeezed in," she said.

"Then after a while you start to get some more mobility going."

And she admitted that filming in Jordan, in Middle East, could get a little uncomfortable.

"It keeps the heat in… so that's not great. But it looks great and that's all that matters," she said.

Zendaya plays Chani in the long-awaited sequel to the 2021 sci-fi epic, which has received mostly positive reviews from critics.

The film follows the journey of Timothée's character Paul Atreides and his noble family, who are locked in a war over the desert planet Arrakis.

But despite the galactic setting, Zendaya says the co-stars were concentrating on a more down-to-Earth theme - the romance between their characters.

She said director Denis Villeneuve emphasised "how important this love story was going to be".

"No matter who you are or where you're from, everyone can connect to this idea of love," she said.

"So it was our job to dig that out."

Zendaya said her character - a member of the planet's native Fremen race - initially has "a fear" of Paul - "even a hatred for what he represents".

So she said the challenge for the actors was breaking down "a wall" between the two "to give people a love story that feels true".

Zendaya says working with good friend Timothée made the film's creative process easier.

"It's a good thing because you can create a space where you feel like there's no bad ideas," she said.

"And in that you have to throw a lot of ideas around and bounce good and bad things around to try to figure [it] out.

"Being able to be around people where you're comfortable enough to be like: 'Oh, well, that didn't work. Let's try that again'."

In Dune: Part One, Zendaya was reportedly only on screen for about seven minutes, but Chani plays a much bigger role in part two.

Most of her filming on the first happened in the space of about a week or in reshoots, and she felt "incredibly grateful for the opportunity" to be a part of the sequel.

"I didn't really get to know her [Chani]. Because we see her through Paul's visions and through his eyes [in the first film]," Zendaya said.

"Now we get to see her through her own eyes and who she is. And that's really exciting for me."

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