With Arrival and the upcoming Blade Runner 2049 under his belt, Denis Villeneuve is one of the go-to sci-fi filmmakers right now, and his résumé could only get more impressive now that he's being eyed to helm the new Dune movie for Legendary Entertainment.
Variety reports that Villeneuve is in "early talks" with Legendary to take the directing reins on the Dune reboot, with the news surfacing one month after Legendary acquired movie and TV rights to Frank Herbert's seminal 1965 sci-fi novel.
The epic novel was previously adapted for the big screen by David Lynch in 1984, and it also came to life on the small screen in the 2000 miniseries Frank Herbert's Dune and its follow-up miniseries, Frank Herbert's Children of Dune.
No further details on Villeneuve's involvement are known at this time, but we'll keep Daily Dead readers updated on the new Dune project as it develops. Would you like to see Villeneuve direct a new Dune movie? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below. For those unfamiliar with Dune or Legendary's acquisition of the adaptation rights to the 1965 book (which was the first in a series of novels), we have the previously distributed press release below:
Press Release (via /Film): Burbank, CA – November 21, 2016 – Legendary and the Frank Herbert estate have reached an agreement granting the production entity the film and television motion picture rights to the beloved novel DUNE, one of the most revered science fiction novels of all time. The agreement calls for the development and production of possible film and television projects for a global audience. 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.
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 agreement was negotiated by Mike Ross and Jen Grazier on behalf of Legendary and Marcy Morris and Barry Tyerman of JTWAMMK on behalf of the Herbert family.
About Legendary Entertainment
Legendary Entertainment is a leading media company with film (Legendary Pictures), television and digital (Legendary Television and Digital Media) and comics (Legendary Comics) divisions dedicated to owning, producing and delivering content to worldwide audiences. Legendary has built a library of marquee media properties and has established itself as a trusted brand which consistently delivers high-quality, commercial entertainment including some of the world’s most popular intellectual property. In aggregate, Legendary Pictures-associated productions have realized grosses of more than $13 billion worldwide at the box office. To learn more visit: www.legendary.com
Denis Villeneuve:
Raised on a steady diet of R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps books and Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Derek has been fascinated with fear since he first saw ForeverWare being used on an episode of Eerie, Indiana.
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