Frank Herbert‘s sci-fi classic “Dune” has yet to be given the cinematic treatment worthy of its legendary status. You can put as much revisionist paint on David Lynch‘s troubled 1984 production, but it’s not a good movie by any stretch, and even if Alejandro Jodorowsky had been given free reign to do what he wanted in the 1970s (as detailed in the excellent documentary “Jodorowsky’s Dune“) let’s be real, it would’ve been a fascinating curiosity, but probably not a great film.
READ MORE: Watch: Massive 3-Hour Fan Cut OF David Lynch’s Sci-Fi Epic ‘Dune’
Over the years, Hollywood has tried to crack the nut on a remake. At various points, Peter Berg (“Deepwater Horizon,” “Patriots Day“) and Pierre Morel (“Taken,” “The Gunman“) were attached to a remake at Paramount, but nothing came to fruition. And in fact, we haven’t really heard much about the property in the last few years, but it’s getting some new life from a blockbuster studio.
Legendary Entertainment have snapped up the film and television motion picture rights to “Dune.” In case you’re in the dark, the story is set in the distant future, and follows Paul Atreides whose family accepts control of the desert planet Arrakis. As the only producer of a highly valuable resource, control of Arrakis is highly contested among the noble families. After Paul and his family are betrayed, the story explores themes of politics, religion, and man’s relationship to nature as Paul leads a rebellion to restore his family’s control of Arrakis.
Now, what exactly Legendary plans to do with “Dune” hasn’t been revealed, but as the company behind “Pacific Rim” and “Godzilla,” I would assume they are thinking franchise thoughts about this one (and yes, there’s much more in Herbert’s arsenal in terms of source material to mine big screen spice from). My advice? Give to Denis Villeneuve, who says it’s a “longstanding dream” to make a “Dune” movie.
