Dave Bautista set to star in 'Dune' reboot

Jan. 8 (UPI) -- Former WWE star turned actor Dave Bautista has joined the cast of director Denis Villeneuve's reboot of Dune.

Bautista's role in the film is being kept under wraps. He joins a cast that includes Timothee Chalamet in the lead role and Rebecca Ferguson.

Dune, based on Frank Herbert's series of novels, is being written by Villeneuve, Eric Roth and Jon Spaihts. Studio Legendary acquired the film and television rights for Dune in a deal with Herbert's estate in 2016.

The story, set in the future, takes place on the desert planet Arrakis where competing nobel families fight over a valuable resource.

A Dune film from director David Lynch was orginally released in 1984.

Bautista previously starred in Villeneuve's 2017 sequel to Blade Runner titled Blade Runner 2049. Bautista will next be seen reprising his Marvel cinematic universe role as Drax in Avengers: End Game.