Dune, which traverses themes of politics, religion and nature, follows Paul Atreides, whose family controls the desert planet Arrakis, which is the only producer of a highly valuable resource, spice melange. When Paul and his family are betrayed, he leads a rebellion to regain control of the desert planet.

David Lynch directed the 1984 adaptation of the 1965 novel. The $40 million film, which ultimately grossed $30 million and was a critical failure, has over the years become a cult favorite.

Thomas Tull, Mary Parent and Cale Boyter will produce the new Dune adaptation, with Brian Herbert, Byron Merritt and Kim Herbert serving as executive producers.

Villeneuve has had a busy end to 2016. The Canadian filmmaker's latest effort, the sci-fi feature Arrival, earned two Golden Globe nominations, including one for lead actress Amy Adams for her turn as a linguist put in charge of communicating with a mysterious alien race. Also, earlier this week the first trailer for Villeneuve's next feature, Blade Runner 2049, was released to cheers from the internet.