Frank Herbert's Dune still ranks as one of the most important pieces of science fiction literature more than five decades after its publication, and while its 1984 theatrical adaptation wasn't met with nearly the same level of critical praise, it's since morphed into a cult classic. Now after delivering Arrival and Blade Runner 2049, director Denis Villeneuve is stepping back into the sci-fi realm to put his own spin on Dune for the big screen. Casting is currently underway, and the latest update is that Mission: Impossible - Fallout's Rebecca Ferguson is being eyed to join the main lineup of characters.
Back in July, Call Me by Your Name's Timothée Chalamet was cast in the Dune reboot as Paul Atreides, Kyle MacLachlan's role in David Lynch's Dune movie. THR has now dropped the news that Rebecca Ferguson is in negotiations to star opposite Chalamet as Paul's mother, Lady Jessica, who Francesca Annis played in the previous theatrical adaptation. We'll have to wait and see if Ferguson finalizes a deal, but with Legendary Entertainment (which acquired the Dune series film and TV rights in late 2016) working to get cameras rolling on the Dune reboot in the near future, ideally we'll find out what the situation is sooner rather than later.
Having already starred in projects like Hercules, The White Queen and The Red Tent, Rebecca Ferguson's acting career hit a new high when she appeared in Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation as Ilsa Faust, whom she reprised this summer for Mission: Impossible - Fallout. Her other notable credits include Florence Foster Jenkins, The Girl on the Train, The Greatest Showman and The Snowman. Even though her involvement with Dune isn't nailed down just yet, Ferguson is keeping busy in the coming years with Doctor Sleep, The Kid Who Would Be King and the Men in Black spinoff.
Like the original source material, the Dune reboot is set far in the future and follows the Atreides family as they're forced to flee to the desert wastelands after being betrayed, leaving it up to Paul to reclaim what is rightfully theirs. Lady Jessica is an especially integral character in the story, as she helps Paul convince the nomadic tribes living in the desert that he is a savior-like figure, and with their help, the Atreides family can overthrow their enemies. Along with Denis Villeneuve sitting in the director's chair, he also co-wrote the Dune reboot with Eric Roth and Jon Spaihts.
The Dune reboot doesn't have a set release date yet, but Legendary is hoping to get production started by early next year. Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more updates, but in the meantime, don't forget to see what movies are hitting theaters later this year by looking through our 2018 release schedule.
