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Dune 2018 (19,20,21...)

This is my 'doh' moment, because when I heard about two-part film I assumed it was Dune and DM. Like others I don't recall how ON (original novel) would work split up. Yes, I've seen the SyFy miniseries but only in one continuous run so didn't really pay attention to narrative breaks or delayed gratification. I guess the pre and post Paul & Jessica crash would make a good break - but as a cinemagoer I might be frustrated unless the director had really bulit up investment until that point.
 
I would guess the split depends on if they want to cliffhanger it or if they want to try and make self contained movies. You could carve out a solid climax and filmd ending with the Jamis duel or Jessica taking the water of life. Or you could cliffhanger it with Paul and Jessica fleeing into the desert.
 
wayoung said:
I would guess the split depends on if they want to cliffhanger it or if they want to try and make self contained movies. You could carve out a solid climax and filmd ending with the Jamis duel or Jessica taking the water of life. Or you could cliffhanger it with Paul and Jessica fleeing into the desert.
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Dramatically speaking, I think Paul and Jessica fleeing into the desert inter-cut with the "tooth scene" would be the more powerful place to end a movie. It's a real "oh shit, the bad guys just won!" type of cliffhanger that takes place amidst a (potentially) very exciting action extravaganza of the Harkonnen/Sardaukar assault, and the end point of several character arcs (Leto, Duncan, Yueh, Kynes etc.) Personally, I'd very much like to see the result of Duncan's "oops, I totally accidentally left a shield running out there, right when the thopters are sweeping the desert with lasbeams" trick.

The downside is that it then leaves the next two thirds of the book to be squeezed into one movie. They could potentially just skip over the second part of the novel or collapse a lot of it into the third, but it'd take a lot of restructuring to make it all make sense while still hitting all of the thematic points of the novel.

You'd also probably have to loose some threads altogether (like Thufir's "service" to the Harkonnens) and invent brand new ones (like the Irulan sub-plot in the mini-series) to make the whole thing more coherent for a 2-3 hour format. Maybe introduce Chani *much* earlier in the narrative, like say have her tagging along with Kynes during the Spice Harvester inspection sequence, or with/instead of Stilgar in the crysknife scene? I'd hate to loose Fenring yet again, but the reality is that he's a bit superfluous to the thrust of the plot, so his thread should probably go.
Having two "water of life" scenes in one movie might also be a problem.
 
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2takesfrakes said:
Almost all I know about this franchise is the miniseries Frank Herbert's Children of Dune. The casting is excellent, with a couple STAR TREK veterans employed, here, like Alec Newman and Alice Krige.
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I'm not sure it's entirely appropriate to call Alec Newman a "Star Trek veteran" in regards to his Dune work, given Children of Dune aired a year and a half prior to his Enterprise episodes.
 
This time round, let's also have proper ornithopters and a complete absence of made-up crap like weirding modules.

Losing Count Fenring as a failed genetic experiment toward the Kwizatz Haderach would be a pity as it reveals the long-term planning and manipulation of the Bene Gesserit breeding program - however, it would probably be too much of a diversion to include him.

It would nice if more time could be devoted to presenting Duncan Idaho as a character - his presence does seem almost superfluous, although he was (or rather, his gholas were) a vital element in the later books.

I've never been satisfied with the onscreen depiction of Baron Harkonnen. The movie version was ridiculously over the top and the TV version didn't seem evil or gross enough.

... oh, and Gurney Halleck should have an inkvine scar from his past with the Harkonnens.
 
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Emh said:
Speaking of Gurney, Villeneuve should cast Patrick Stewart in the role again. The man has barely aged a day in three decades and he was great in the role.
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Stewart's not an ugly lump of s man though :)
 
Emh said:
Speaking of Gurney, Villeneuve should cast Patrick Stewart in the role again. The man has barely aged a day in three decades and he was great in the role.
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He was never really right for the role IMO. You want someone more like Jerome Flynn, who can be both grandiose and retain the demeanour of the common soldier.

Kynes or Shaddam would be a better fit for Stewart I think.
 
There's some stuff Lynch did I still think is way-out genius...
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Marc said:
Stewart's not an ugly lump of s man though :)
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fireproof78 said:
Indeed. He doesn't fit the description of the character at all.
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Reverend said:
He was never really right for the role IMO. You want someone more like Jerome Flynn, who can be both grandiose and retain the demeanour of the common soldier.

Kynes or Shaddam would be a better fit for Stewart I think.
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Thus proving again that I really need to read the novel again. :lol:

I particularly forgotten that Gurney was suppose to be ugly (aside from the scar). I like the idea of using someone like Jerome Flynn.
 
Asbo Zaprudder said:
Where's the natural break between two movies? Perhaps it'll be after Paul and Jessica escape into the desert - with the majority of the first movie being used for world building. It'll be interesting to see if Villeneuve avoids inserting the huge chunks of narrative exposition that David Lynch used.
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I reckon this scene would be the natural cut-off point for the first film:

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Except the Villenueve version would also intercut with Kynes' death, Thufir's capture/poisoning, the collection of Duncan's body by the Bene Tleilaxu. It would also include the revelation that Baron Harkonnen is Jessica's father/Paul's grandfather and - given that Brian Herbert is involved - that (ugh) Reverend Mother Mohaim is Jessica's mother/Paul's grandmother.
 
Tom Hendricks said:
The only problem is you don't know which Hopkins you're going to get. The phone it in or deeply committed actor. While I think he's a good choice, I think someone just a tad younger and more invested would be warranted.
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I said "along the lines of Anthony Hopkins", not literally Anthony Hopkins.
 
Throwing this out there, in this age of slowed down, sad versions of pop songs turned into trailer themes, I vote for a version of I Love You Always Forever to play over the trailer for Dune Messiah. I always felt the lyrics really fit the novels tragic love story and a version like Lorde did with Everyone wants to rule the World would work well.

Feels like I'm standing in a timeless dream
Of light mists with pale amber rose
Feels like I'm lost in a deep cloud of heavenly scent
Touching, discovering you

Those days of warm rains come rushing back to me
Miles of windless summer night air
Secret moments shared in the heat of the afternoon
Out of the stillness, soft spoken words
Say, say it again

I love you always forever
Near and far, closer together
Everywhere I will be with you
Everything I will do for you
I love you always forever
Near and far, closer together
Everywhere I will be with you
Everything I will do for you

You've got the most unbelievable blue eyes I've ever seen
You've got me almost melting away
As we lay there under a blue sky with pure white stars
Exotic sweetness, a magical time
Say, say it again

I love you always forever
Near and far, closer together
Everywhere I will be with you
Everything I will do for you
I love you always forever
Near and far, closer together
Everywhere I will be with you
Everything I will do for you

Say you'll love, love me forever
Never stop, never whatever
Near and far and always and everywhere and everything
Say you'll love, love me forever
Never stop, never whatever
Near and far and always and everywhere and everything
Say you'll love, love me forever
Never stop, never whatever
Near and far and always and everywhere and everything
Say you'll love, love me forever
Never stop, never whatever
Near and far and always and everywhere and everything

I love you always forever
Near and far, closer together
Everywhere I will be with you
Everything I will do for you
I love you always forever
Near and far, closer together
Everywhere I will be with you
Everything I will do for you
I love you always forever
Near and far, closer together
Everywhere I will be with you
Everything I will do for you
I love you always forever
Near and far, closer together
 
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