‘Blade Runner 2049’ director Denis Villeneuve may be director for ‘Dune’ reboot
Denis Villeneuve has been a vocally promoting his interesting in helming the cinematic relaunch of one of the most celebrated science fiction properties of all time: Dune.
Legendary acquired film and TV rights to Dune in November and is planning to develop it as a franchise with multiple films.
Deadline notes that “The series of sprawling epic novels written by Frank Herbert and first published in 1965 is set in the far future with humanity, having spread beyond Earth to countless other worlds, now ruled over by competing feudal families who control access to a drug called Melange. Known popularly as ‘spice,’ the drug gives its users heightened consciousness and an extended lifespan at the cost of crippling addiction and fatal withdrawal. Spice, use of which makes interstellar travel possible, is found only on the desert planet of Arrakis — aka ‘Dune’ — and as such is the most valuable commodity in the galaxy.”
The series has been adapted twice before, first as a 1984 film directed by David Lynch that bombed hard and more recently two Sci-Fi Channel miniseries — both of which won VFX Emmys.
Villeneuve said in a September interview with Variety that “a longstanding dream of mine is to adapt Dune.”
Villeneuve will head up the long-awaited Blade Runner sequel, Blade Runner 2049 with Ryan Gosling starring with Harrison Ford returning.
Gosling plays a new Blade Runner, a LAPD Officer.
The new film also stars Ana de Armas, Sylvia Hoeks, Robin Wright, Mackenzie Davis, Carla Juri, Lennie James, Dave Bautista and Jared Leto.
Blade Runner 2049 is set for release on October 6th.