Is the world ready for the combined talents of filmmaker Denis Villeneuve and Timothée Chalamet?
According to Deadline, film fans need to prepare themselves as the acclaimed director is set to team up with the Oscar-nominated young actor the for sci-fi epic “Dune.” The report says that Chalamet is in final talks to star in the film that is a two-part passion project for Villeneuve.
If signed, Chalamet will play Paul Atreides, the lead character in Frank Herbert’s classic sci-fi series. “Dune” follows young Atreides as he deals with the politics and feuding families, vying for control of the universe’s most precious commodity, Melange. The coveted “spice” is the drug that gives people heightened consciousness and has allowed for all sorts of technological breakthroughs. And as luck would have it, the only known source for spice is the planet of Arrakis, aka Dune.
“Dune” has been adapted, infamously, by filmmaker David Lynch, with Kyle MacLachlan playing the lead role. While many fans of the novels are not happy with Lynch’s version of the story, there are many that hold the film in cult classic status. The novels have also been adapted on the small screen in several miniseries. However, with film technology advancing so much in the last few decades, and with Villeneuve seemingly at the height of his creative powers, this project is one of the most highly anticipated in all of Hollywood.
Chalamet, of course, was Oscar-nominated earlier this year for his work in Luca Guadagnino’s “Call Me By Your Name,” and has a string of films coming out in the next year. He’s also getting strong Oscar buzz this year for his upcoming film “Beautiful Boy,” based on the bestselling novel of the same name, where he co-stars with Steve Carell.
READ MORE: ‘Beautiful Boy’ Teaser: Timothée Chalamet Struggles As A Hardcore Drug Addict
There’s no word on a release date for “Dune,” but with casting beginning, we can imagine that production will commence relatively soon.