Veteran Eric Roth has been brought on board to write the script for the Dune reboot. Originally reported by Variety, Roth's impressive resume includes Forrest Gump, Munich, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, among others. Denis Villeneuve is already attached to direct, his most recent movies were the sci-fi themed Arrival, and the upcoming release of Blade Runner 2049. Legendary purchased the rights to Frank Herbert's popular novel last year, which includes rights to any films and TV properties. It will be produced by Villenueve, Mary Parent, and Cale Boyter. Brian Herbert, Byron Merritt, Thomas Tull, and Kim Herbert will serve as executive producers, and Kevin J. Anderson will be a creative consultant.
The first Dune novel was released in 1965 and is set in a distant future, with a group of noble houses running a feudal interstellar society. It is about Paul Atreides and his noble family, who accept stewardship of the planet that contains the most important and valuable spice mélange. Because control of the planet and the spice is so important, their are many issues that arise for the struggle of this spice. The book delves into the various political, religious, ecological, technological, and emotional issues that arise within all of the noble house as they vie for control of the planet.
The popularity of the first book led to five sequels, the 1984 film adaptation by David Lynch, and the 2000 and 2003 Sci-Fi Channel mini-series, along with several prequel and sequel books written by Kevin J. Anderson and Brian Herbert.