The 1965 Frank Herbert sci-fi classic Dune is widely-regarded as one of the most important works of the genre. The novel serves as a predecessor to important cinematic sagas and remains one of the most difficult works to translate on film.

Director Denis Villeneuve (Arrival, Blade Runner 2049, Sicario) has taken on the ambitious task of bringing the story to life and from the looks of the first trailer, there is reason to be optimistic.

The impressively strong cast includes the Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Stellan Skarsgård, Zendaya, Jason Momoa, Josh Brolin, Dave Bautista, and Javier Bardem. Aside from the marquee names comprising the cast, the trailer captures the landscapes, the sadnstorms, and the epic battles that make the novel such a seminal work.

There have been three attempts to translate the novel onto the screen. In 1984, David Lynch helmed an effort that fell way short of critical praise. Auteur Alejandro Jodorowsky made the attempt decades later but the project never saw the light of day. There is a subsequent documentary about the production that is worth a watch however. Lastly, the Sci Fi Channel has a short lived miniseries that debut in 2000, but the budgetary and logistical restrictions made it so the series just couldn't capture the full scope of the world created in Dune.

Thus far, Villeneuve's translation offers the most authentic adaptation and offers a glimmer of hope for the 2020 box office forecast.

Coupled with the release of the trailer, Warner Bros. assembled panel discussion hosted by Stephen Colbert. The participants included Villeneuve Chalamet, Javier Bardem (Stilgar), Josh Brolin (Gurney Halleck), Jason Momoa (Duncan Idaho),Oscar Isaac (Duke Leto Atreides), Rebecca Ferguson (Lady Jessica), Zendaya (Chani), and Sharon Duncan-Brewster (Liet-Kynes).

Watch the 3-minute trailer for Dune as well as the panel discussion with the cast and Stephen Colbert below.