HOLLYWOOD, CA - Scarlett Johansson has come under withering criticism after agreeing to play the giant sandworm, Shai-hulud, in Denis Villeneuve's upcoming adaptation of Frank Herbert's Dune.

Johansson is signed on to provide the motion-capture footage and guttural roars for artists to generate CGI of the legendary desert worm. Critics claim that by agreeing to portray a character other than a white, cisgendered female, Johansson is ignoring the life experiences and struggles of other genders, races, and species of colossal desert-dwelling worm creatures living on the planet Arrakis.

"Scarlett really needs to stay in her lane," said a representative for the Sandworm Actor's Guild of America. "Until you've lived it, you can't possibly understand what it truly means to live underground generating spice. Back off, girl!"

"Sandworms suffer exploitation from Fremen tribes stealing their spice every single day, and Johansson feels she can just come in and act like a sandworm, like she's an actor or something," he added. "We will not stand for this. We want more film roles, no matter how qualified Johansson is for the part."

"The roles must flow," he added ominously.

Sandworm actors across the country began refusing to generate spice until Johansson agrees to remove herself from the film, sources confirmed at publishing time.