Probably the best working science fiction director around has his next job lined up. Denis Villeneuve, who directed the recently released Dune, has signed on to direct a movie adaptation of Rendezvous with Rama, the classic 1973 novel from Arthur C. Clarke. The novel is about a group of space explorers who are tasked with intercepting a spaceship hurtling through the universe, which they believe will lead to humanity’s first contact with an alien race.
While not the the seminal novel that Dune was, or even Clarke’s own 2001: A Space Odyssey, Rendezvous with Rama is definitely an interesting piece of science fiction from one of the genre’s most legendary writers, and it is in safe hands with Denis Villeneuve. Villeneuve has shown an incredible knack for bringing sci-fi to the screen, especially thanks to his ability to pull out the human threads that other directors often glaze over in favor of special effects and space battles. Alcon Entertainment is financing the film.
Broderick Johnson, Andrew Kosove, Morgan Freeman, and Lori McCreary will produce the film, with Freeman having previously owned the rights to the book. It’s not clear if he’ll have any role in the film.
“This is one of the most intelligent works of fiction in the genre; it poses as many questions as it does answers, and is a work for our time,” said Johnson and Kosove. “It’s perfectly fitted to our friend and collaborator Denis’ brilliant sensibilities and specifically to his love and passion for science fiction. We are also pleased to work with Morgan and Lori, who have a long-standing passion for this IP.”
It isn’t certain when Denis Villeneuve will begin working on the Rendezvous with Rama movie adaptation. The director is looking at an incredibly busy future as he begins turning Dune into a cinematic franchise with both the sequel film confirmed and a spin-off series, Dune: The Sisterhood, coming.
