Dune remake

Couldn't see a topic for this, but it seems there're plans underway to make a new Dune movie.

http://www.slashfilm.com/2007/12/21/peter-berg-to-remake-dune/

Haven't seen any of the things this guy has worked on but sci-fi seems new to this Director, as far as I can tell.

Another potential disaster. *sigh*

I hope this isn't true. Friday night lights and the rundown? I hated those movies. But I don't even think this is true seeing as how they don't even have a script and Mr. Peter Berg is busy with projects for the next 2-3 years. So much could change in the next couple of years and Mr. Berg sounds like he's just getting excited. It's cool to know that they are thinking of remaking it even though it's going to be many years down the road. I love David Lynch but you can't really call his Dune a masterpiece (he disowned the movie for gods sake). So I guess a remake could be cool.

Aazealh said:

Another potential disaster. *sigh*

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Everything anyone does is a POTENTIAL disaster Aaz what makes me think this will be a Titanic scaled disaster is the movie he plans on making 1st, which involves Tom Cruise as a CIA spy

Oburi said:

I love David Lynch but you can't really call his Dune a masterpiece (he disowned the movie for gods sake).

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At least it had great music and some nice visuals. Honestly, a remake could easily be a lot worse than Lynch's movie.

Sanguinius said:

Everything anyone does is a POTENTIAL disaster Aaz what makes me think this will be a Titanic scaled disaster is the movie he plans on making 1st, which involves Tom Cruise as a CIA spy

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Well, by "potential" I meant with good chances of being one. Dune isn't the easiest novel to adapt, and this guy's resume isn't very convincing. Plus, like you said, Tom Cruise. What's next, Tom Cruise as Paul Atreides? That would be grrrrrrrrrrrreat.

Measure me up for crucification if you will but while Lynch definitely put his spin on Dune I rather liked the movie and preferred it over the Dune mini series the Sci-fi channel made a few years ago. I'd personally be impressed if they made a movie as good as, let alone better than Lynch's. It's obviously very very early days in it's production, but some of what I'm reading suggests they're going for a big budget movie, which to me means big names, lots of special effects and explosions, and a grade A crap movie.

Edit:
I think I've found the 1st special effect, not as bad as I feared.

Sanguinius said:

Measure me up for crucification if you will but while Lynch definitely put his spin on Dune I rather liked the movie and preferred it over the Dune mini series the Sci-fi channel made a few years ago.

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No, I agree actually. =) Although, to be honest the Dune movie really hasn't aged well, and the parts that differ from the novel could have been done without. The mini-series was utter shit.

I'll hope for the best expect the worst, I can only hope Patrick Stewart will be back.. and have more screen time.. but thats very wishful thinking.
hopefully they don't cast a whole bunch of crappy actors. Like who's gonna play the harkonnen prince? I doubt anyone can top sting's performance.
Anyone know who's doing the music? Dune's soundtrack (heck even the game ost's, especially dune 2000) were all spectacular.

Aazealh said:

The mini-series was utter shit.

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Seconded for truth!!!

Ramen4ever said:

Anyone know who's doing the music? Dune's soundtrack (heck even the game ost's, especially dune 2000) were all spectacular.

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Dune II: The Battle for Arrakis is still the best RTS in my heart!!

Dune has too much material to be crammed in one single movie. I might even venture to say it's too much for two movies. The problem with such an adaptation is that Dune, unlike many other books is not just a tale to be told. There is so much political, sociological, religious and pure human analysis in it that trying to convey all that in a movie is an amazingly difficult feat.

Lynch's attempt had a nice start on that. I really enjoyed and loved his movie up to the part when they arrive to Arrakis and a few minutes more. But then... oh gawd! It's like the producers extrapolated the running time vs the amount of book covered and said "If we continue like this, we'll have a twelve hour movie. Better cut it a bit" and proceeded to destroy everything the story had to offer.

The mini series had the running time to be good, but lacked a good script, actors, and everything else for that matter. Good thing they stopped before going bankrupt by doing God Emperor.

Still... with a decent script, a good musical score and all the new SFX junk it could still be an entertaining movie to watch... But a great Dune adaptation which keeps faithful to the original content it transmits? I don't think so.

Fun? perhaps. Good for those who have read, enjoyed and understood at least somewhat the books? Not likely.

PS: A little out of topic but... has anyone here read the last two books? Hunters and Sandworms? I haven't managed to get a hold of them in any of my local book stores (Nor any of the prequels for that matter). I'm not even sure if they have arrived at my country yet. Are they a worthy ending to Herbert's work?

Aeglos said:

PS: A little out of topic but... has anyone here read the last two books? Hunters and Sandworms? I haven't managed to get a hold of them in any of my local book stores (Nor any of the prequels for that matter). I'm not even sure if they have arrived at my country yet. Are they a worthy ending to Herbert's work?

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I haven't read any of the books that aren't by Frank Herbert. Nevertheless, I know for certain that they're all horribly bad and I wish they didn't exist. And from what I've read here and there, the last two are even worse than the previous Brian Herbert/Kevin J. Anderson fiascos. They're insults to the memory of Frank Herbert.

Quick comment. No Toto? No ticket.

Short news story but so full of disaster potential. One thing I don't get is, why remake it, why not another crack at the story, on second thought that would probably end up worse.

PS: A little out of topic but... has anyone here read the last two books? Hunters and Sandworms? I haven't managed to get a hold of them in any of my local book stores (Nor any of the prequels for that matter). I'm not even sure if they have arrived at my country yet. Are they a worthy ending to Herbert's work?

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I gave "Machine Crusade" and "Butlerian Jihad" a go, and they sucked big time (and I've heard from a good source that the "House" series is also crap). I mean if they were separate books (not at all Dune related) they might have made some sense, this way... check the end of Aaz's post.

I really hate how they're making remake after remake after remake, It would be nice to see a "good" original movie. I don't wanna see anymore classics butchered. I mean whats next "Hey lets remake the godfather!!!" the horror.

I wasnt even the biggest fan of the Dune books in the first place. A bit too slow and dry for my tastes, no pun intended. As everyone else said it would be very hard to make it into a movie and do it any real justice.

They should just go the easy route and just make WH 40K, its basically a dumbed down version of the Dune universe with a lot of anachornistic elements added in... and space elves.

HawaiianStallion said:

I wasnt even the biggest fan of the Dune books in the first place. A bit too slow and dry for my tastes, no pun intended.

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Really? I love the original Dune. It sucked me in from the very first chapter. Ah well...
I can do without a new movie though.

As for the W40k comment... I don't think that universe is very accessible to the general public, unless dumbed down a lot, so it would hardly be the "easy route" imho.

The second part of the miniseries was all right. Mediocre, but enjoyable. The first part had so little budget it was laughable.

Aazealh said:

The mini-series was utter shit.

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It was? I thought it was rather good. I couldn't even watch all of the movie, felt that horrible.

Khorne said:

It was?

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Yeah?

Khorne said:

I couldn't even watch all of the movie, felt that horrible.

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Why? Because it looks dated?