Following the release of the stunning trailer for Dune, audiences cannot wait to delve into the complex world of director Denis Villeneuve's upcoming sci-fi epic. Based on Frank Herbert's seminal novel, Dune will span across several movies, with Villeneuve now saying that it will be "at least" two.

"The story is so rich and complex that, in order to be faithful to the book, we'll need to make at least two movies. That was a deal right at the start."

Dune has been described as a mythic and emotionally charged hero's journey, and tells the story of Paul Atreides, a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, who must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people. As malevolent forces explode into conflict over the planet's exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence-a commodity capable of unlocking humanity's greatest potential-only those who can conquer their fear will survive.

Adapting such a complex, richly detailed story is no easy task, and so it makes sense that Denis Villeneuve plans to slow things down and space them out across multiple movies. Whilst he says that is the "deal", the first Dune's financial success will likely also come into play, so here's hoping that it does well enough to justify the necessary sequels.

For those worried that the first Dune will feel like merely a fraction of the story, cinematographer Greig Fraser has already promised that the movie will offer audiences a complete adventure. "It's a fully formed story in itself with places to go. It's a fully standalone epic film that people will get a lot out of when they see it," Fraser said of the first Dune. "It was quite an adventure visually. It was a beautiful experience making it. The people involved with it, I was overwhelmed. Some of the actors, as well as being insanely talented actors, are just lovely, lovely people who I've become very close to since then."

Director David Lynch's Dune, released in 1984, attempted to pack in as much of the source material as it could into one movie, and as a result was a critical and financial disaster, and so, while there will understandably be some who are still concerned that the upcoming Dune will feel unfinished, it is promising to know that Villeneuve is avoiding repeating the mistakes of the previous adaptation.

Dune stars a hugely impressive cast that includes Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides, Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica, Oscar Isaac as Duke Leto Atreides, Josh Brolin as Gurney Halleck, Stellan Skarsgård as Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, Dave Bautista as Glossu Rabban, Stephen McKinley Henderson as Thufir Hawat, Zendaya as Chani, David Dastmalchian as Piter De Vries, Chang Chen as Dr. Wellington Yueh, Sharon Duncan-Brewster as Dr. Liet-Kynes, Charlotte Rampling as Gaius Helen Mohiam, Jason Momoa as Duncan Idaho, and Javier Bardem as Stilgar, the leader of the Fremen tribe. Dune is currently scheduled for release on December 18, 2020, though this could reportedly be postponed due to the ongoing global circumstances. This comes to us from Variety.