Legendary Entertainment Options Annie Jacobsen's Nuclear War For Denis Villeneuve

• Legendary Entertainment acquires rights to Annie Jacobsen's Nuclear War book.

• Denis Villeneuve in discussions with Legendary for potential roles in the project.

• Villeneuve collaborating with Legendary on the Dune series.

This image released by Sony Pictures shows LaKeith Stanfield in a scene from "The Book of Clarence." (Moris Puccio/Legendary Entertainment/Sony via AP)

AP

Legendary Entertainment has acquired the feature rights to the latest nonfiction book by author Annie Jacobsen, titled Nuclear War: A Scenario. The book, released last month, delves into the nuclear military establishment and has caught the attention of filmmaker Denis Villeneuve. Villeneuve is currently in discussions with Legendary to potentially take on various roles in the project, such as producer, writer, or director, alongside his producing partner Tanya Lapointe.

Meanwhile, Villeneuve and Legendary are also collaborating on a third installment in the Dune series, based on the works of renowned sci-fi author Frank Herbert. The second part of the Dune series, titled Dune: Part Two, premiered in March under Warner Bros. and has emerged as the highest-grossing film of the year domestically, surpassing $250 million in box office earnings.

Jacobsen, a Pulitzer Prize finalist for her book The Pentagon's Brain: An Uncensored History of DARPA, America's Top-Secret Military Research Agency, has garnered critical acclaim for her insightful nonfiction works.

The decision to pursue Nuclear War as a film project follows the success of Universal's Oppenheimer, a film by Christopher Nolan that explores the creation of the atomic bomb. Oppenheimer has achieved significant commercial success, amassing seven Oscars and exceeding $950 million in global box office revenue.

Villeneuve, in a recent interview, revealed that he is considering multiple projects, including a long-awaited Cleopatra feature. He emphasized the importance of finding the right screenplay before proceeding with adaptations of Dune Messiah, Herbert's sequel to Dune. The director hinted at a secret project in the works that requires swift development before tackling his other ambitious ventures.

With several projects in the pipeline, Villeneuve remains focused on delivering compelling storytelling and engaging audiences with his unique cinematic vision. The collaboration between Legendary Entertainment, Annie Jacobsen, and Denis Villeneuve promises to bring a thought-provoking exploration of nuclear warfare to the big screen, offering audiences a captivating cinematic experience.