Denis Villeneuve will direct Dune. The Quebec director had been rumoured to be in the running to head the rebooted film adaptation of Frank Herbert’s series of classic sci-fi novels since December. Whispers became reality when the author’s son Brian Herbert tweeted the news Tuesday evening.
“It’s official,” he wrote. “Legendary Pictures has signed the very talented Denis Villeneuve to direct the exciting new Dune series film project.”
Villeneuve’s star is in full ascent in and around Hollywood. His sci-fi film Arrival is nominated for eight Academy Awards, including the prestigious categories of best picture and best director. Things are going so well that Villeneuve even found reason to complain about the nominations, rightfully lamenting that Arrival star Amy Adams was left off the list for best actress.
Next up, the lifetime scifi fan will fulfil a childhood dream with this fall’s release of Blade Runner 2049, starring Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford. The longawaited followup to Ridley Scott’s 1982 cult classic is one of the most anticipated releases of the year.
With Dune now on the horizon, Villeneuve is on the path to becoming one of the biggest directors on the planet. And he’s doing it his way, fashioning artful, thoughtful films that defy mainstream cinema stereotypes. Arrival is an existential take on aliens visiting the Earth. Despite initial fears that it may be too cerebral for some audiences, the film has brought in more than US$174 million.
Villeneuve’s knack for mood and suspense will serve him well in staying true to the original Blade Runner’s esthetic, and as he prepares to bring Herbert’s complex universe to the screen.
Dune has been deemed a difficult project to adapt ever since David Lynch’s ill-fated 1984 film, starring Kyle MacLachlan and Sting. (Spanish director Alejandro Jodorowsky failed to complete his own version in the 1970s.)
Lynch’s movie was harshly reviewed and lost money at the box office, but Villeneuve may be just the man to give the series a fresh look. His two previous American projects, Prisoners (2013) and Sicario (2015), proved his ability to inject depth into even potentially generic plot lines.
The rights to Dune found their way back to Herbert’s estate in 2011; American production company Legendary Entertainment (Pacific Rim, Godzilla) picked them up in November.
Given that Herbert’s original series comprises six novels, there is ample potential for this to turn into a major franchise, if Villeneuve gets it right.
