Legendary has gone and done the damn difficult, and acquired the rights toFrank Herbert’s venerated science fiction classicDune. The geek-centric movie studio behind blockbuster spectacles likePacific Rim,GodzillaandWarcrafthas reached an agreement with the Frank Herbert estate for the film and television motion picture rights to beloved novel, which has earned a reputation as one of the most sought after and difficult-to-acquire sci-fi properties of all time.
While no specific project is on the docket just yet, any future projects will be produced byThomas Tull,Mary Parent, andCale Boyter, with the Herbert estate headsBrian Herbert,Byron Merritt, andKim Herbertserving as executive producers.
For the unfamiliar, here’s the Dune synopsis via the press release:
Set in the distant future, Dune tells the story of 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.
The 1965 sci-fi epic, which is the first in a long-running series, took home a Hugo Award (which it tied for with Roger Zelazny’sThis Immortal)and the inaugural Nebula Award for Best Novel, and has gone on to become one of the best-selling science fiction novels of all time with more than 12 million copies sold.Alejandro Jodorowskyfamously attempted to adapt the property in the mid-70s, and that doomed project has been chronicled in the documentaryJodorowsky’s Dune.David Lynchadapted the novel in 1984 with theKyle MacLachlan-led film of the same name, which has gone on to cult status, but was received at the time as a critical and commercial failure, grossing only $30.9 million for its $45 million budget.Dunealso received an Emmy-winning SyFy miniseries back in 2000 fromJohn Harrison.
