Villeneuve's Dune: Part One (2019)

[Overread]

It's not just about making it accessible; its also about having enough time to draw the audience into a lot more subplots and subtle themes. Sometimes you just run out of time and films that try to squeeze it all in can feel hollow because everything is rushed and cut short. A few of the DC/Marvel films feel like that (eg Suicide Squad) where they are trying to push way too much into too little time and no single element gets enough attention. They can sometimes work for existing fans because they can fill in the gaps, but for new fans who haven't read the source material it can feel very hollow and lacking.

 

[Al Jackson]

Trouble is you have to make it accessible to attract a wider audience, which always means that the more subtle elements of the story will be missed out from the book. Had the movie been a success missing elements could be added to a sequel.

For what its worth, i though the movie was pretty entertaining. No where near as good as the book though.

Gravity and The Martian did well without being comic booked up ….. my sense of things is that Villeneuve will not mess with Dune in that way ….. Then he made a perfectly good Blade Runner movie and it did not do well.

One recalls that the 1984 Dune did not do well at the box office.

 

[Al Jackson]

More Dune casting news today, I am gonna wait till there is more, but I note The Hollywood Reporter is saying that production begins in March.

 

[Boneman]

One of the things that truly irked me about the 1984 film (apart from the adult Kyle MacLachlan) was the way the Mentats were portrayed - drinking purple juice to enhance their brains and being so stupid they ended up with a butterfly on their lips. Freddie Jones as Thufir looked like a tramp, and I'm sure he reincarnated as Radaghast the Brown in the Hobbit....

 

[Al Jackson]

Charlotte Rampling Joins Dune as Reverend Mother Mohiam.

An excellent actress. Tho not the caliber of Siân Phillips , she will be good but I would have picked someone else , my choices would have been Cate Blanchett or even Meryl Streep.

 

[Vince W]

Rampling is a good choice I think. She looks like the Mohaim I had in my head when reading the books. Although my first choice would have been Maggie Smith.

 

[Ray Pullar]

Since Rampling starred in Zardoz she's obviously down with this kind of material.

 

[Boneman]

Ooh... that could work. Not sure Meryl Streep would give the role the gravitas it needs, but that's probably because she's done so much comedy recently. (If you can call Mamma Mia a comedy...)

 

[Vince W]

Poe Dameron = Duke Leto? This feels like Brian's influence. I hope I'm wrong.

Oscar Isaac in Talks to Join Timothee Chalamet in ‘Dune’ Reboot

 

[Al Jackson]

Poe Dameron = Duke Leto? This feels like Brian's influence. I hope I'm wrong.

Oscar Isaac in Talks to Join Timothee Chalamet in ‘Dune’ Reboot

Seems confirmed:

Oscar Isaac Joining Denis Villeneuve's 'Dune'

A very good actor.

 

[Boneman]

I love Rebecca Ferguson!!! Perfect as Lady Jessica.

 

[Al Jackson]

We now have House Atreides (tho a few support characters are needed)

No word on House Corrino yet.

Part of House Harkonen.

 

[Boneman]

See what I mean? Paul was supposed to be small for his age and fifteen. Kyle looks about thirty. Timothee at least looks younger,

 

[J-WO]

Such a good cast lined up. The fact it's avoiding truly major stars in favour of accurate casting gives me hope.

 

[Al Jackson]

Zendaya as Chani

 

[Vince W]

I would love the Fremen to look like this for at least a few of the outdoor scenes.

 

[Al Jackson]

I would love the Fremen to look like this for at least a few of the outdoor scenes.

I thought they did a good job in Lynch's Dune. The Stillsuits were a bit minimal but looked utilitarian. In the SyFy series they looked budget constrained. Very curious what Villeneuve does he has an eye for costume and production values.

 

[Al Jackson]

Javier Bardem as Stilgar. That's ok.

 

[Vince W]

I'm okay with Bardem.

 

[J-WO]

I'm so getting hyped about this. But I shouldn't because hype is the mind-killer...