Denis Villeneuve’s long-awaited sci-fi saga Dune is yet to hit cinemas, but he’s already teasing details from the follow-up, which the director says will shift focus to Zendaya’s character, Chani.

Speaking to Italian magazine Il Venerdì di Repubblica, Villeneuve said that “I can’t wait to shoot the second part of Dune to get (Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya) back together, knowing that in the next chapter Zendaya will be the protagonist of the story.”

Chani is the daughter of Imperial Planetologist Liet-Kynes and his Fremen wife Faroula (Fremen are humans who consider the harsh desert planet Arrakis their home). She is concubine to Chalamet’s character, Paul, but she’s also a powerful and skilled fighter, well versed in the use of “spice”, the most valuable substance in the universe. All this will make sense (hopefully) when you can actually watch the film on October 22, 2021.

Villeneuve has previously said that the Dune story is too complicated to tell in just one film: “I would not agree to make this adaptation of the book with one single movie. The world is too complex. It's a world that takes its power in details.”

“It's a book that tackles politics, religion, ecology, spirituality – and with a lot of characters. I think that's why it's so difficult. Honestly, it's by far the most difficult thing I've ever done.”

The second trailer for the film dropped last month, which included intense action sequences with giant worms, but also a closer look at the mysterious connection between Paul and Chani. Take a look below to get excited for release day all over again.