As the book hits the New York Times bestseller lists, Denis Villeneuve looks to bring the acclaimed Nuclear War: A Scenario to the big screen.
Fresh off the box office smash Dune: Part Two, Deadline reports Villeneuve will reteam with Legendary Entertainment for an adaptation of the book . Per the outlet, the filmmaker is “set to adapt and/or direct Nuclear War, producing with his longtime partner Tanya Lapointe.”
Annie Jacobsen’s nonfiction book Nuclear War: A Scenario explores a ticking-clock scenario about what would happen in the event of a nuclear war. It is based on dozens of exclusive new interviews with military and civilian experts who built the weapons, were privy to the response plans, and were responsible for those decisions should they need to be made.
Deadline reported that the film is labeled a “chilling cautionary tale,” following the equally powerhouse look at nuclear war in the Best Picture-winning Oppenheimer.
Villeneuve directed Dune: Part Two, the highest-grossing movie of 2024 ($637 million). This shows that Villeneuve knows how to tackle an adaptation and keep the themes attached to the original material. Fans will also know him from his work on hit films like Prisoners, Arrival, and Blade Runner 2049.
The outlet notes that the filmmaker and Legendary will gear up this “giant project” after Dune: Messiah is wrapped.
