Denis Villeneuve May Direct Legendary’s Dune Reboot

Denis Villeneuve will soon be in charge of every science fiction property you hold dear. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Arrival and Blade Runner 2049 director is in talks to helm the Dune reboot, the rights to which Legendary recently acquired.

Dune, a sprawling space opera, has been adapted for the screen once, when David Lynch took on the project in 1984. Although that film was seen as a critical and commercial failure at the time, some now regard it as a cult classic.

The story, adapted from a Frank Herbert novel of the same name, follows Paul Atreides, whose family controls the desert planet of Arrakis. When he and his family are betrayed, Atreides leads a rebellion to regain control of the planet, which is the only producer of a rare and much sought-after mineral.

Villeneuve is currently reaping the benefits of Arrival, a critical and commercial hit that was itself adapted from a Ted Chiang short story. Villeneuve is also helming the Blade Runner sequel Blade Runner 2049, which just got its first, sand-filled trailer. Though there are no dunes, it’s easy to see how watching the short clip could make you think Villeneuve would be a good choice for the desert landscapes of Dune.