I think the mistake Hollywood is making is in thinking that it's possible to make a "tentpole" movie out of Dune in the first place - the problem nobody will admit to is that the reason (okay one of the reasons) the Lynch version failed as a movie was that it managed to retain a surprising amount of the book's original tone.
I think you nailed it right there.
You simply will not get a summer blockbuster sci-fi action film out of Dune if you stay true to the book. The movie that Paramount wants isn't in there.
I don't think you can get a LotR type blockbuster out of it either, if that's the other route they are thinking of going. And I wouldn't put Peter Berg in charge of it if it was, as I don't think that's his forte.
You simply will not get a summer blockbuster sci-fi action film out of Dune if you stay true to the book. The movie that Paramount wants isn't in there.
Yeah, I mean...this isn't a big action thriller or comic-book movie. It's...political intrigue in, possibly, the most boring "space" setting imaginable. It's a whole planet that's a desert for fuck's sake.
As I once described reading the book: It's "Hey, cool!" followed by a hundred pages of slogging through sand, then "Ooh, interesting!" and a hundred pages of slogging through sand...
Of course, I'll still go see it...
...yeah, me too. I Am A Sucker.
the most boring "space" setting imaginable. It's a whole planet that's a desert for fuck's sake.
To be fair, the desert is infested with giant killer worms.
...which doesn't make up for the premise that one of the most dangerous things anyone can do to another person on this planet filled with giant killer worms is raise their voice a little bit. And there is no way to make that not look stupid onscreen.
To be fair, the desert is infested with giant killer worms.
Graboids!
(Sorry, had a Tremors flashback there...)
Graboids!
Yes! They should re-make Dune with Kevin Bacon, Michael Gross and Fred Ward!
They should re-make Dune with Kevin Bacon, Michael Gross and Fred Ward!
As sandworms. Or possibly the Harkonnens.
Reba McEntire IS Lady Jessica Atreides!
Wow, I've never seen an Anthony Minghella film (although I do want to see
The Talented Mr. Ripley
), but damn.
In other news, I love
Tremors.
