Ahead of the upcoming Dune movie, the classic Dune board game is being re-released after decades out of print. The game originally launched in 1979, releasing five years before David Lynch's cult classic movie adaptation enthralled audiences.

The team behind 1977's Cosmic Encounter (Bill Eberle, Jack Kittredge and Peter Olotka) were also the designers for the Dune board game.  These individuals were responsible for the creation of a game that very much reflected the underground nature of the Dune fanbase that was present ever sense the movie achieved cult status. Despite the game's popularity, it eventually disappeared from popular culture in the 1980s alongside Lynch's movie, as he went on to greener pastures in Hollywood. The game's disappearance from the public led to it becoming somewhat of a hidden gem among collectors, who'd try to get their hands on any copy they could.

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Kotaku reported on the news of plans to release an an updated version of the old classic Dune board game, which was announced at GAMA, a large trade show for board games. This re-release will provide fans with their first opportunity to own the game in over three decades.

Dune (1984) movie artwork

According to Tabletop Gaming, the team behind the new Dune board game is Gale Force Nine. Those familiar with the Firefly Adventure, Star Trek Ascendancy, and Sons of Anarchy: Men of Mayhem games will be delighted to know that this same team with be at the helm for this long-awaited re-release. What's potentially even more exciting for those who are ingrained in the universe that Dune created, is that this team announced that even more tabletop games will be coming down the pipeline that are set in that world.

With a new Dune movie being released in 2020 set to be directed by Denis Villeneuve (Blade Runner 2049, Arrival) and starring the ever popular Jason Momoa of Aquaman fame, now was likely as good a time as any to bring back the old Dune board game. The original co-designer of the game Peter Olotka confirmed in a tweet the return of the game as "better than ever". However, further details on the re-release have yet to be revealed. No official release date for the updated version has been provided as of this moment, but one would hope that like in 1984 with the update of the original board game that coincided with the first movie, this new game can be released in time with the theatrical arrival of the 2020 remake.

More: Dune Movie Reboot Is Being Scored By Hans Zimmer

Source: Kotaku, Tabletop Gaming