Legendary pictures have officially signed on a director for arguably one of the most iconic science fiction franchise of all time, Dune. Brian Herbert – son of original Dune author Frank Herbert and author of the following sequels and prequels – confirmed the company’s hiring of director Denis Villeneuve last night on twitter.
It's official — Legendary Pictures has signed the very talented Denis Villeneuve to direct the exciting new DUNE series film project.
— Brian Herbert (@DuneAuthor) February 1, 2017
The confirmation of any director being attached to the franchise is exciting enough, as the Dune series has been in limbo for a number of years following the 1984 failure, but the fact that it’s Villeneuve is phenomenal. The french Canadian is no stranger to science fiction, receiving numerous nominations and critical acclaim for his work this past year on the Sci-Fi drama Arrival.
If that wasn’t enough, Villeneuve will helm the sequel to another of the most influential (and occult) films of all time when Bladerunner 2049 releases later this year. If you’re still skeptical, his resume outside of Sci-Fi is just as impressive, as he is best known outside of the genre for his crime-thriller films Prisoners (2013) and Sicario (2015).
Legendary pictures secured the rights to the Dune series from the Herbert estate back in late November, allowing them the option for both film and television rights worldwide. The studio has a rather spotty reputation when it comes to its films, as they’ve produced multiple sci-fi successes (Interstellar, Jurassic World), but have plenty of busts under their belts as well (Jonah Hex, Warcraft).
The future looks promising for Dune under Villeneuve’s direction, and we hope that Herbert’s vision can make it to the big screen correctly this time. Preferably closer to Alexander Jodorowsky account rather than David Lynch’s rendition.
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