What We Know About Denis Villeneuve's 'Dune' Remake

Denis Villeneuve is developing the well-anticipated adaptation of the highly celebrated and discussed sci-fi classic “Dune.” Not much is yet known about the project, aside from a few general ideas. Villeneuve and his cast and crew have been relatively quiet about the whole project, but here is everything we do know.

“Dune” Will Be An Epic Focus Of The First Novel

The visionary “Blade Runner 2049” director signed on to direct “Dune,” the remake of David Lynch’s 1984 film of the same name, back in November of 2017. Both films are based on the famous Frank Herbert epic novel series. However, what we do know about Villeneuve’s remake is that it will much more closely tie into the novels than Lynch’s movie did, according to IndieWire.

“Dune” is an expansive series of books that take place over the course of about 10,000 years, though Villeneuve has a specific plan for his adaptation. As of right now, Villeneuve only plans to adapt the first book in the series. Even then, he says, it has to be divided into two separate parts, simply due to the density of it.

The Cast Has Been Announced

Again, “Dune” has kept a mostly quiet production, but to get us excited for the movie, one thing they’ve shared since day one is the cast. For starters, Timothée Chalamet has taken over the role of Paul Atreides, the protagonist and hero of the first novel who possesses mental abilities and glowing blue eyes.

He was previously played by Kyle MacLachlan in the original adaptation. MacLachlan shared his support for the young actor in a CinemaBlend interview, believing he’d do great. When offering up advice for Chalamet, MacLachlan joked: “Go easy on the spice.”

The cast also includes Oscar Isaac, Zendaya, Josh Brolin, Dave Bautista, Stellan Skarsgard, Jason Momoa, and Javier Bardem.

The Story Ff "Dune"

The series mostly focuses around one planet, Arrakis, and the people who live on it. These people have special access to a galactic commodity, a mind-enhancing drug known as the “spice melange.” Mining for spice is a very dangerous game, as it is only found in the sands of the Arrakis desert, where gargantuan monstrous sandworms roam and protect the spice.

There is a fight for power over the planet of Arrakis and the spice that exists there. Leto Atreides and the heir to his throne, Paul, get caught up in the politics of spice mining and the rival House Harkonnen that wants them out.

Villeneuve described it as “Star Wars for adults” in a 2018 Fandom interview.

Production Times And Release Date

“Dune” has officially wrapped principal photography and has entered the post-production phase. Brian Herbert confirmed on Twitter that they had wrapped production in late July 2019.

As for when we will be able to see it, we can look forward to a November 2020 release.