March 23 (UPI) -- Blade Runner 2049 and Arrival director Denis Villeneuve has begun filming his star-studded Dune remake, Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Entertainment announced this week.
The cast of the sci-fi adventure includes Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Zendaya, David Dastmalchian, Stephen Henderson, Charlotte Rampling, Jason Momoa and Javier Bardem.
Chang Chen from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and The Grandmaster is in discussions to join the ensemble, the studios said.
Frank Herbert's novel Dune was previously adapted by filmmaker David Lynch as a 1984 movie starring Brad Dourif, José Ferrer, Linda Hunt, Kyle MacLachlan, Virginia Madsen, Sting, Dean Stockwell, Max von Sydow, Alicia Witt and Sean Young.
"Dune 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," a synopsis said. "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."