Legendary Entertainment is bringing Frank Herbert's
Dune to theaters next year, but the classic sci-fi universe will expand far beyond the big screen. Thanks to a new partnership with video game developer Funcom,
Dune will be headed to consoles and PC through a series of games slated to release over the next few years.
The six-year licensing agreement will result in "at least" three video games being released, one of which will be an "open world multiplayer" game that is expected to enter pre-production sometime this year in Funcom's Oslo studio. The genres of the remaining games are presumably still being determined, but it's not shocking to see the first
Dune game under Funcom to emphasize multiplayer, especially given the developer's rich history in the space.
The Norwegian-based game developer is known for numerous multiplayer-focused video games, including
Age of Conan,
Anarchy Online, and
The Secret World. In a
statement released alongside the announcement, Funcom CEO also touted the company's experience working with existing sci-fi/fantasy intellectual properties.
“Funcom has a strong history of working with beloved sci-fi/fantasy intellectual properties including our bestsellers Age of Conan and Conan Exiles. So many of us at Funcom, myself included, are huge fans of Frank Herbert’s work and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to collaborate with Legendary to bring the iconic DUNE universe to life for gamers all over the globe.”
This isn't the first time
Dune has been adapted into a video game.
(Updated thanks to ) In 1992, Westwood Studios/Virgin Interactive released
Dune II, a game loosely connected to the franchise, but a critical and commercial hit nonetheless. The game is said to have been a huge influence for real-time strategy titles that followed, including
Warcraft and
Command & Conquer.
Dune II was an exception, however, as most other games inspired by the franchise didn't achieve nearly the same success. In 2001, Cryo Interactive attempted to release an adaptation of the Sci-Fi Channel miniseries,
Frank Herbert's Dune, for PlayStation 2. It flopped and the publisher, which was already struggling financially, went into bankruptcy shortly after the game's failure.
Funcom's untitled
Dune multiplayer game doesn't yet, as it was only just revealed, but you can catch Denis Villeneuve's upcoming big screen adaptation when it hits theaters on November 20, 2020.
The film features
Aquaman star Jason Momoa as the heroic Duncan Idaho, and he's joined by an impressive cast that includes
Timothee Chalamet as Paul Atreides,
Javier Bardem as Stilgar,
Zendaya as Chani,
Oscar Isaac as Duke Leto Atreides,
Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica,
Stellan Skarsgard as Baron Harkonnen,
Dave Bautista as "The Beast" Rabban and
Charlotte Rampling as the Reverend Mother.