The Dune reboot has found a writer, with The Hollywood Reporter revealing that Denis Villeneuve and Legendary have hired screenwriter Eric Roth to pen the screenplay. Roth wrote the screenplay for Forrest Gump, for which he won received an Academy Award.
Dune was written in 1965 by Frank Herbert and has remained popular ever since with a series of sequels, prequels and spin-offs. The original book follows Paul Atreides, whose family controls Arrakis, a desert planet that is the only producer of spice melange, a highly valuable resource in the galaxy. After his family is betrayed, Paul leads a rebellion to regain control Arrakis.
Dune has been a dream project for Villeneuve for several years. He previously said: “Since I was 12 years old there was a book I read, which is Dune, which is my favorite book, with 1984. After Prisoners, the producer of Alcon asked me what I would like to do next. I said, ‘Dune,’ spontaneously, that if anyone could get me the rights for Dune – and I knew it was very difficult to get those rights. For me it was just a dream, and I guess I’m lucky that Mary Parent from Legendary got the rights and offered it to me. I can’t say no to that. I have images that I am haunted by for 35 years. I will not say no to that. That’s going to be the project of my life.”
Roth’s latest screenplay is 2018’s A Star is Born starring Bradley Cooper while Villeneuve is in post-production on Blade Runner 2049 with Harrison Ford and Ryan Gosling.
Originally published April 6, 2017. Updated April 16, 2018.
