Who would’ve thought Denis Villeneuve would turn into our go-to dude for heady sci-fi? According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Canadian director, who first drew attention with gritty slow-burners like Prisoners and Sicario, is now in talks to helm a reboot of Frank Herbert’s Dune, the epic sci-fi novel that’s long resisted successful film adaptation. This follows a new trailer for Villeneuve’s hotly anticipated Blade Runner 2049, as well as the two Golden Globe nominations he scored for this year’s Arrival (which you can find on our best films of 2016, FYI).
Last month, we reported that production company Legendary snatched the film and television rights to Dune, which explores complex political and religious themes in its story of a desert planet, a rebellion, and sandworms.
Villeneuve joins an esteemed group should he make a go of the adaptation. Alejandro Jodorowsky’s fantastical, failed attempt to develop it in the ‘70s is now the stuff of legend, while David Lynch’s notoriously panned 1984 adaptation nearly ended his career.
Tread carefully, buddy.
