Denis Villeneuve already has some experience in the science fiction realm through Arrival and Blade Runner 2049, and after saying in 2015 that it was a “longstanding dream” of his to adapt Dune, he officially signed on to the movie in early 2017. Rather than adapt all of Dune into one movie like the David Lynch cinematic adaptation (which was critically maligned, but has gone on to become a cult classic), Villeneuve’s Dune will cover roughly the first half of the book, with the second half being covered in a sequel if the first movie does well.