Fans of Frank Herbert’s “Dune” novels have been waiting for a faithful adaptation of the famous sci-fi epic for decades. While David Lynch’s 1984 “Dune” has its fair share of fun moments, the film is far from a true adaptation. With “Arrival” director Denis Villeneuve attached to direct a new version of the film, “Dune” fans are expecting big things. Now, Variety is reporting that Legendary has hired veteran writer Eric Roth to pen the script, and it’s clear that the studio wants talented creators on the property.
Eric Roth is perhaps best known for writing “Forrest Gump,” which earned him an Oscar, but he was also responsible for penning “Munich” and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” among other things. While he’s an accomplished writer, he has never written a sci-fi film to date, and “Dune” is far from the easiest work to adapt. Roth definitely has his work cut out for him.
“Dune” tells the story of Paul Atreides as his family takes control of the planet of Arrakis, the biggest producer of the spice melange. The spice melange is the most valuable resource in the universe, so the rival houses are all plotting to betray the family and gain control of the resource for themselves. While this might seem like a straightforward story, the novel is incredibly dense, and explores ideas surrounding religion, politics, ecology, and technology.
No release date has been announced for “Dune,” but it’s apparent that the studio is moving full speed ahead on this project.