Dune Reboot To Potentially Be Directed By Denis Villeneuve

Earlier this week, Legendary Entertainment and the Frank Herbert estate finally reached an agreement granting the production entity the film and television motion picture rights to the beloved novel Dune.

The first film in 1984 was based on the 1965 novel of the same name directed by David Lynch, but it was an incomprehensible mess from start to finish. Over three decades later, producers are eyeing a proper Dune reboot with production to potentially begin fairly soon.

According to Variety, there’s already “early talks” of having Denis Villeneuve (Arrival, Blade Runner 2049) direct Dune from a freshly written screenplay.

Set in the distant future, Dune tells the story of Paul Atreides whose family accepts control of the desert planet Arrakis. As the only producer of a highly valuable resource, control of Arrakis is highly contested among the noble families. After Paul and his family are betrayed, the story explores themes of politics, religion, and man’s relationship to nature as Paul leads a rebellion to restore his family’s control of Arrakis.

Dune has long been considered the crown jewel of science fiction properties. Its legacy and influence is witnessed in everything from Star Wars to The Matrix and often referred to as the science fiction version of Lord of the Rings with its sprawling world and multi-dimensional politics.

The projects would be produced by Thomas Tull, Mary Parent and Cale Boyter, with Brian Herbert, Byron Merritt and Kim Herbert serving as executive producers.