Director Denis Villeneuve (Sicario, Prisoners) certainly blew us away with his recent science fiction outings Arrival and Blade Runner 2049. His next project Dune has us foaming at the mouth in anticipation. The remake is said to be closer to books and there had been rumblings of shooting two films back-to-back with a slight time-jump in the story between them.

It’s an ambitious project as even someone as talented as David Lynch couldn’t make it work with his 1984 version, which was critically panned and become a legendary box office flop. There are still lots of things to marvel over such as the costumes and production design in Lynch’s film which was a pretty big deal at the time.

In the year 10191, a spice called melange is the most valuable substance known in the universe, and its only source is the desert planet Arrakis. A royal decree awards Arrakis to Duke Leto Atreides and ousts his bitter enemies, the Harkonnens. However, when the Harkonnens violently seize back their fiefdom, it is up to Paul, Leto’s son, to lead the Fremen, the natives of Arrakis, in a battle for control of the planet and its spice. Based on Frank Herbert’s epic novel.

Villeneuve has even gone as far to call Dune “Star Wars for adults”, so he’s going to have to back that up with some serious production design and visually stunning storytelling. His work on Blade Runner 2049 sort of gives him the benefit of the doubt, as he’s proven to his ability to play in a science fiction sandbox and make it his own while also expanding upon it. Hence our excitement to tackle the Dune saga, if it’s able to move forward as a franchise (totally reliant on the box office returns).

Dune is indeed well into the pre-production stages ahead of its shoot next year and we’ve discovered another talented crew member has been added to the ranks.

HN Entertainment has learned that seasoned stunt coordinator Thomas Struthers has joined the crew of Denis’ Dune reboot for Legendary Pictures. Struthers impressive credits include The Dark Knight, Inception, Dunkirk, X-Men: First Class, The Dark Knight Rises, Terminator Salvation, John Carter, Batman Begins, Munich, and Blood Diamond.

For an ambitious project, you’re going to need a group of extremely talented people working in front and behind the camera and Struthers consistently working with director Christopher Nolan should explain the reasoning behind Denis adding him to Dune.

Some other talented Dune crew members I’ve previously reported on includes Sicario/Arrival production designer Patrice Vermette and Blade Runner 2049 costume designer Renee April.

On the casting front, it has been reported by the trades that Rebecca Ferguson (Doctor Sleep, Mission: Impossible – Fallout) and Timothee Chalamet (Call Me By Your Name) are both attached for two of the leading roles in the science fiction epic. Timothee for the role of space Messiah Paul Atreides and Rebecca for his young mother Lady Jessica Atreides.

Filming is still expected to begin sometime this March in Budapest, Hungary, the same location where Denis shot Blade Runner 2049.

Legendary hasn’t officially set a release date for Dune but there is an expectation of it coming sometime in 2020.

SOURCE: HN ENTERTAINMENT