We’ve already got high hopes for Denis Villenueve’s upcoming adaptation of Dune, but now they’re even higher. Frank Herbert, the late author of the original novel, may not be around to see the newest iteration of his work on the big screen, but his son is – and Brian Herbert thinks it’s the “definitive” version.
“I was very impressed by the trailer, and I was thrilled to actually be on the movie set in Budapest last year, where my wife and I watched the filming of several scenes,” Herbert said in an interview with Inverse. “This is a really big movie, a major project that will forever be considered the definitive film adaptation of Frank Herbert’s classic novel. Fans are going to love this movie. Denis Villeneuve is the perfect director to do Dune.”
The sci-fi epic focuses on a planet called Arrakis (also known as Dune), the only source of the most valuable substance in the universe – a drug called ‘the spice’ that extends human life, provides superhuman levels of thought, and makes faster-than-light travel possible. It features an all-star cast including Timothée Chalamet, Oscar Isaac, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson and Jason Momoa.
Dune has been adapted before, most infamously by David Lynch in 1984. With an eclectic cast including Kyle MacLachlan, Patrick Stewart and Sting, the movie was a box office bomb and received generally negative reviews.
Originally set for release this month, Villeneuve’s Dune has since been delayed to October 2021 – and it’ll premiere on HBO Max as well as in cinemas. While we wait, check out our list of the best sci-fi movies you can watch right now.
