The upcoming Dune reboot is now one step closer to becoming a reality. Legendary Pictures has already hired Arrival director Denis Villeneuve to helm the project, but now the movie has a writer as well. The studio has reportedly hired veteran screenwriter Eric Roth to pen the screenplay for this new version of Dune, which looks to be a major priority for Legendary Pictures moving forward.

Variety is reporting that the Forrest Gump writer has officially been brought on board to write the new Dune movie, which Legendary Pictures secured the rights to make last November. The studio closed a deal with author Frank Herbert's estate, not only for this new rebooted movie, but for TV projects related to Dune as well. But it will be Eric Roth who sets the tone for this new take on Dune. No pressure.

The good news for those hoping this new Dune adaptation will finally be the one that is truly worthy of the original novel should find Eric Roth coming on board very assuring. He hasn't written a sci-fi movie before, but he does have an Oscar and he isn't exactly in the business of writing bad movies. Outside of Forrest Gump, he has also penned scripts for movies like Munich, Ali, The Insider, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and the upcoming remake of A Star is Born. Not all of his movies have been financially successful, but rarely has he written a movie that has been subject to a critical lashing. Couple that with a director in Denis Villeneuve, who is pretty much batting 1000 at this point and the right pieces all seem to be in place. Villeneuve's last three movies, Prisoners, Sicario and Arrival were all outstanding and the early indication is that Blade Runner 2049 will be a worthy sequel to Ridley Scott's original sci-fi classic.

David Lynch previously adapted Dune for the big screen in 1984, with Kyle MacLachlan in the lead. The movie flopped in a big way, bringing in just $30.9 million, but it has since gained cult status. SyFy also did a miniseries adaptation in 2000, but that also didn't connect on the level that the novel does with fans. Dune is considered one of the all-time great science fiction stories and it has influenced everything from Star Wars to The Matrix. The novel is set in the distant future and tells the story of Paul Atreides, whose family accepts control of the desert planet Arrakis. Control of Arrakis is highly contested among the noble families, since it is the only producer of a highly valuable resource. After Paul and his family are betrayed, the story dives into politics, religion, and man's relationship to nature as Paul leads a rebellion to restore control of Arrakis.

Legendary Pictures has yet to set an official release date for the Dune reboot, but with a writer and director now in place, things should start coming together. If they can get a cast that is as compelling as the team working behind the camera, this movie could get very interesting, very fast. We will be sure to keep you up to date as more information on the movie becomes available.