They who control the spice control the game. In anticipation of Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of Dune, Legendary Entertainment and Frank Herbert’s estate (under the company name Herbert Properties LLC) have announced they’ve teamed up with Gale Force Nine to produce a series of board games set in the Dune universe. The first one, a tabletop role-playing game, is set to come out next year.
According to a press release, Gale Force Nine has reached a multi-year licensing to produce a series of tabletop games from “the full scope” of the Dune franchise, including the original book series from creator Frank Herbert, as well as son Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson’s continuation of the franchise following Frank Herbert’s death. We can also expect games that tie directly to Villeneuve’s adaptation, which should debut in 2020.
The first official Dune game to come out of this partnership will be a tabletop RPG, and it’s set to come out in late 2019. No word yet what it will be about or what parts of the franchise it will cover, but we do know it’s a collaboration with Modiphius, the team behind Star Trek Adventures and Tales From the Loop.
Gale Force Nine’s CEO said it’s the first of many tabletop games they’re looking to produce over the next several years. So buckle your sandworm seatbelts.
“This is only the beginning of our big plans in tabletop for this captivating franchise,” Gale Force Nine CEO John Paul Brisigotti said. “Dune is a rich and wonderful universe, and we expect to produce an equally expansive and inspired line of games for years to come.”
Legendary Entertainment is clearly banking a lot on Dune being its new big franchise. Back in 2016, they bought the rights to the entire Dune franchise for an undisclosed amount of money, with plans for both film and TV adaptations.
As of now, the only project they’ve announced is Villeneuve’s movie, which covers the first Dune book. Unlike David Lynch’s 1984 film version, Villeneuve’s adaptation is expected to take place over two movies to better cover the novel. After that, there are dozens of books to choose from. Really, the orange sky’s the limit.