Hollywood will once again try to master the Wyrding Way. It was announced today that Legendary Entertainment has acquired the rights to Frank Herbert’s sci-fi classic Dune. The studio that brought you World of Warcraft, Interstellar, and Pacific Rim now has permission to throw what we assume will be big money at a property that has confounded filmmakers for decades. There’s a whole documentary devoted to Alejandro Jodorowsky’s ill-fated epic, and David Lynch’s big-screen adaptation from 1984 was a box-office flop that has stayed alive thanks mostly to a cult appreciation for how bad it is. There was also a pair of three-part mini-series made by the Syfy channel between 2000 and 2003 that were more well-received — which still isn’t saying a whole lot. The new Legendary deal encompasses both film and TV projects, but the last time a major studio attempted to resurrect Dune it didn’t get very far. Paramount had Peter Berg attached to direct a fresh attempt at the story in 2007, but he dropped out and the reigns were given to Pierre Morel. In 2011, Paramount lost the rights and Dune has been lying dormant since then. Best of luck to you, Legendary. History says you’re going to need it.
