We all know that the man who controls the spice controls the universe, but what about the man who directs it? We reported last month that Legendary Entertainment had reached an agreement with the Herbert estate that allowed them to snag the rights to Frank Herbert’s classic novel ‘Dune’. Details on this new adaptation remain scarce, as the only information accompanying last month’s announcement was that the film would be produced by Thomas Tull, Mary Parent, and Cale Boyter, with members of the Herbert family on board as executive producers.
Now, however, The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that Canadian director Denis Villeneuve is in talks to helm the production. Villeneuve is fast becoming a force in science fiction storytelling, both with the release of this year’s critically acclaimed ‘Arrival‘ and with next year’s long-awaited ‘Blade Runner 2049‘. In fact, if Villeneuve does find himself on a journey to Arrakis, ‘Blade Runner 2049’ may give us the best sense of how he might approach the film, as it too sees him take on a sci-fi classic, balancing respect for a beloved work with the need to make the new film his own.
‘Dune’ was previously (and most famously) adapted as a feature film by David Lynch in 1984. Though the film was a decidedly mixed success at the box office, it has since come to be regarded as a cult classic. In addition to the 1984 film, the original novel was adapted by John Harrison, along with its sequels ‘Dune Messiah’ and ‘Children of Dune’ into a pair of miniseries for the Sci-Fi Channel.
No word yet on when this new adaptation of the sci-fi classing might hit our screens, but as always, make sure to check back with ScienceFiction.com for more news on the project as it becomes available.
