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Tribune News Service

What is busier than booked and busy?
Whatever it is, Zendaya is exactly that this entire year, with a slate filled with high-profile screen projects, including those dropping her back in the drama of Euphoria and the desert sands of Arrakis in the Dune franchise.
The 29-year-old, a Disney Channel star who has become one of Hollywood’s most in-demand actors, kicks off her impressive run this month with the dark romantic comedy The Drama, which co-stars Robert Pattinson, who will also join her for other projects this year.
Though The Drama centres on a fictional engaged couple, the film hits cinemas amid reports that Zendaya and her Spider-Man co-star Tom Holland exchanged their own vows earlier this year.
This summer, Zendaya and Holland’s romance comes full circle as they reunite on Spider-Man: Brand New Day, the fourth film in the franchise that helped ignite that spark. Zendaya and her – ahem, reported – husband are also slated to share the screen multiple times this year.

While the return of Euphoria and film premieres are set to be the landmark moments of the Emmy winner’s year, fans can also expect the Zendaya-thon to include press-junket gems and stunning, tastefully themed red carpet looks – essentially everything that makes Zendaya, well, Zendaya.
The native of Oakland, in California, made it clear last month that she is very aware of the year she is having. Zendaya told sites Rotten Tomatoes and Fandango she hopes “people don’t get sick of me”.
“I really appreciate everyone who supports any of the movies or supports my career in any kind of way,” she said, reiterating, “I just hope you don’t get sick of me this year because I’ll tell you what, after this, I’m disappearing for a little bit. I’m going to have to go into hiding for just a little bit.”
With the Zendaya-thon in full swing starting this month, here is everything to know about her coming projects.
The Drama
In case you have not already heard, Zendaya will be tying the knot with a beloved British heartthrob this year, for Kristoffer Borgli’s dark romantic comedy The Drama.


Zendaya stars in the film opposite Pattinson as an engaged couple – Charlie Thompson (Pattinson) and Emma Harwood (Zendaya) – preparing to say their “I do’s”. But cracks in their picture-perfect relationship begin to show after Emma reveals a major secret before the big day.
To quote Pattinson’s Charlie in the trailer: “There’s some drama.”
Ahead of the film’s release, Zendaya indulged in yet another bout of “method dressing”, channelling the bridal tradition of wearing something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue for her red carpet looks.
Something old: the white Vivienne Westwood gown she wore at the 2015 Oscars. Something new: a custom white Louis Vuitton gown with a black bow-train. Something borrowed: Cate Blanchett’s black Giorgio Armani gown with a plunging, gem-lined neckline. Her something blue remains to be seen.












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The Drama, written and directed by Borgli, opened in the US on April 3 and also stars musician-actor Alana Haim, Mamoudou Athie and Hailey Gates.
Euphoria season three
Euphoria is finally back on HBO for its third and likely final season – and it only took four years.
A lot has happened since the chaotic season two finale in 2022, to say the least.
Series creator Sam Levinson faced allegations in 2023 of fostering a toxic workplace defined by long, late-night shoots and disorganised set days for his series The Idol.
Meanwhile, a low-energy jeans advertisement starring Sydney Sweeney sparked a culture war. And, tragically, several members of the Euphoria family have died since: actor Angus Cloud, executive producer Kevin Turen and, most recently, actor Eric Dane.


When Euphoria returns on April 12, it will be a much different show from when it premiered in 2019. The season three trailers appear to be representative of exactly that: the teens of Euphoria are grown up, and Zendaya’s Rue Bennett, in her enduring struggles to stay sober, seemingly finds herself in Mexico, caught in the middle of feuding drug lords.
Here is how HBO officially sums it up: “A group of childhood friends wrestle with the virtue of faith, the possibility of redemption and the problem of evil.”
Zendaya, who made Emmys history for her work in both seasons one and two, will reunite with co-stars Hunter Schafer, Oscar nominee Jacob Elordi, Alexa Demie, Maude Apatow and Sweeney.
This season’s cast will also include Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Toby Wallace, Sharon Stone, Rosalia, Danielle Deadwyler, Marshawn Lynch, Natasha Lyonne and Trisha Paytas.
The Odyssey
After Euphoria, the Zendaya-thon sets sail to the Mediterranean with Christopher Nolan’s highly anticipated The Odyssey, an adaptation of Homer’s homecoming epic.
Zendaya joins the all-star cast as Greek goddess Athena, who protects Matt Damon’s Odysseus on his perilous journey back home to his family in Ithaca.


While the film brings Zendaya and Holland to the same set, it is highly unlikely the pair will bring their romance on screen unless Nolan decides Odysseus’ son Telemachus (Holland) needs a fling with the goddess of wisdom, war strategy and logic.
The Odyssey hits cinemas in the US on July 17 and also features Anne Hathaway, Lupita Nyong’o, Charlize Theron and reunites Zendaya with Robert Pattinson.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Just weeks after The Odyssey, both Zendaya and Holland will swing back into their Marvel groove for Spider-Man: Brand New Day, nine years after first appearing together in 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming.
Holland returns as your friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man (aka Peter Parker) under much different circumstances: his beloved MJ (Zendaya) and best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon) have no recollection of Peter following the events of 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home.


The trailer, released last month, shows Peter reeling as he struggles to reconnect with his friends. To his dismay, MJ has a new man in her life. As in the previous films, Peter attempts to balance his personal woes with superhero struggles – but he will have another Avenger in his corner. The clip shows Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner (aka the Hulk) guiding Peter through an “enormously dangerous” physical evolution and teases several baddies, including Jon Bernthal’s anti-hero Punisher.
Sure, Holland will soon be back in his Spidey-suit for Brand New Day, but the film’s arrival also means the potential for more “method dressing”, courtesy of Zendaya’s stylist, Law Roach. Some of the most memorable looks from Zendaya’s last round of Spider-Man outfits included pieces with web detailing.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day, directed by Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings director and Wonder Man producer Destin Daniel Cretton, premieres in the US on July 31. Sadie Sink, Severance star Tramell Tillman and Michael Mando also star.
Dune: Part Three
Zendaya will bookend her run of major releases this year by returning to Arrakis for Dune: Part Three, Oscar nominee Denis Villeneuve’s third and reportedly final Dune film.
The latest instalment, an adaptation of the second novel in author Frank Herbert’s Dune series, is set nearly 20 years after the events of 2024’s Dune: Part Two. The film sees Timothee Chalamet’s Paul Atreides fully assume his place as the messiah of the Fremen, the people of Arrakis. Fearless Fremen warrior Chani (Zendaya) returns in a different romantic capacity. In Dune: Part Two, Paul married Florence Pugh’s Princess Irulan as a political play, making Chani his concubine.


The film’s trailer, released last month, shares glimpses of Paul and Chani’s enduring love (and possibly their child), dramatic battles, an unrecognisable Robert Pattinson, Isaach De Bankole’s Fremen character Farok, Anya Taylor-Joy as Paul’s younger sister Alia and more. Returning stars also include Javier Bardem, Rebecca Ferguson and Jason Momoa.
Dune: Part Three hits cinemas in the US on December 18, with Zendaya most likely spicing up the red carpets with themed looks until then.
The sci-fi epic may mark the end of Zendaya’s 2026 film and television projects, but the young multi-hyphenate is already in talks for more roles, including leading Be My Baby, the Ronnie Spector biopic from Oscar-winning Moonlight filmmaker Barry Jenkins. Will Smith and Hannibal creator Bryan Fuller are also among the creatives who have publicised their hopes to work with Zendaya.
While Zendaya says she intends to “go into hiding” next year, she is confirmed to take a dip into the Shrek swamp in 2027. She will lend her voice to the animated franchise’s fifth film and its first instalment in more than a decade, voicing the daughter of Mike Myers’ Shrek and Cameron Diaz’s Fiona. Eddie Murphy is also set to return to the franchise as Donkey.
Shrek 5, announced in 2025, was initially set to premiere at the end of 2026. Instead, Zendaya’s ogre era will be upon us on June 30, 2027.


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TV shows and streaming video

2026 is the year of Zendaya, from The Drama and Euphoria to Spider-Man and Dune

Zendaya attends a special screening of The Drama in New York in April 2026. The actress has a slate filled with high-profile screen projects this year. Photo: AP

Tom Holland (left) and Zendaya attend the LA premiere of Spider-Man: No Way Home in Los Angeles, in 2021. Photo: TNS

How Generation Alpha could save Hollywood as PG-rated films lead the way

A study conducted in 2025 by the National Research Group found that no generational group wanted to watch films on the big screen, as opposed to at home, more than Gen Alpha. Photo: Matt Sayles/Invision/AP 

A still from The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. Photo: TNS

PG-rated films that have come out in 2026 or are slated for later in the year include (from left) Goat, Hoppers, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Toy Story 5, and Minions & Monsters. Photo: AP

How Gingle Wang went from clueless novice to one of Taiwan’s top young actresses

Taiwanese actress Gingle Wang at an interview with the SCMP in Tsim Sha Tsui on April 2, 2026. Photo: SCMP / Karma Lo

Taiwanese actress Gingle Wang takes part in an interview with the SCMP in Tsim Sha Tsui on April 2, 2026. Her journey from a novice actress to a star highlights her approach to acting. Photo: Karma Lo

Gingle Wang and Kent Tsai in a still from All Because of Love (2017).

Wang and Kai Ko in a still from Till We Meet Again (2021).

Wang in a still from Detention (2019).

Wang and Chen Bo-lin in a still from Dead Talents Society (2024).

Wang and Ethan Ruan in a still from The Pig, the Snake and the Pigeon (2023).

Wang is becoming a familiar face to international audiences via streaming platforms like Netflix and Disney+. Photo: Karma Lo

How micro dramas work ‘like a TikTok trend’, leaving big studios in their dust

Production of drama filmed in US. Photo: COL Group International

Monitor screens are seen during the filming of a micro drama in Shanghai, China. The format, shot in 9:16 aspect ratio for viewing on phones, is surging in popularity as studios in China and the US churn out productions in days and at a fraction of the cost of their major-studio counterparts. Photo: AFP

Timothy Oh is the general manager of COL Group.

Actors perform during the shooting of a micro drama in the US. Photo: COL Group

The rise of micro dramas has accelerated in recent years as viewers have begun gravitating towards short-form content that can be consumed during commutes and between work tasks. Photo: Shutterstock

The Divorced Billionaire Heiress on DramaBox took in around US$35 million in North America alone.

A mansion set is seen in a COL studio in Zhuhai, in China’s Guangdong province. Photo: COL Group

A promotional poster for Supermodel Me. Photo: COL Group

Cecilia Cheung: Hong Kong actress, sex scandal victim and Chinese social media star

Cecilia Cheung at the 23rd Hong Kong Film Awards in 2004. The actress’ personal life garnered a lot of attention in the 2000s, with tabloids covering scandals and her high-profile romantic life. Photo: SCMP

Cheung in 1999. Photo: Oliver Tsang

Cheung speaks after receiving the award for best new performer, as veteran actors Liza Wang and Danny Lee look on, at the 19th Hong Kong Film Awards in 2000. Photo: Martin Chan

Cheung and Nicholas Tse in 2001. Photo: Reuters

Cheung in a still from Lost in Time (2003), for which she won best actress at the 23rd Hong Kong Film Awards. Photo: China Star Entertainment Group

Cheung and Tse at the 30th Hong Kong Film Awards in 2011, the year they filed for divorce. Photo: K. Y. Cheng

Cheung and Stephen Chow in a still from King of Comedy (1999). Her feature-film debut remains one of her most memorable roles. Photo: The Star Overseas

Cheung and her three sons. Photo: Weibo

Cheung in a photo she posted on her Weibo account in 2023. Photo: Weibo

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Zendaya has a busy year ahead, starring in The Drama with Robert Pattinson, Euphoria, and the latest in the Spider-Man and Dune franchises


Zendaya has a busy year ahead, starring in The Drama with Robert Pattinson, Euphoria, and the latest in the Spider-Man and Dune franchises.


2026 is the year of Zendaya, from The Drama and Euphoria to Spider-Man and Dune

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Zendaya has a busy year ahead, starring in The Drama with Robert Pattinson, Euphoria, and the latest in the Spider-Man and Dune franchises

Zendaya has a busy year ahead, starring in The Drama with Robert Pattinson, Euphoria, and the latest in the Spider-Man and Dune franchises