Denis Villeneuve's upcoming adaptation of Frank Herbert's "Dune" is easily one of my most anticipated films, but the novel has proven to be notoriously tricky to adapt. The last feature-film adaptation of "Dune" come from David Lynch more than 35 years ago, and while DUNE has since developed a cult following, it's safe to say that the film was a critical and commercial failure.
While speaking with IndieWire, DUNE star Kyle MacLachlan said that his feelings about the film have evolved over time. "I look at it as a flawed gem," MacLachlan said. "It’s stunning in so many ways. As a story, and trying to recreate that story, it’s almost impossible. It’s incredibly dense, and a little bit like a house of cards. If you leave out one element of the story or another, the structure tends to wobble, and you don’t get the full effect." Given the incredibly dense nature of Herbert's novel, cramming so much story into one film was pretty much a recipe for failure, and although MacLachlan said that he's "curious" about Denis Villeneuve's potential two-film approach to the material, he still thinks that the story would best be served as a TV series.
I would lobby for three or more films, because it has that kind of potential to really open up. In my imagination, I always thought it would be great to approach it like a ‘Game of Thrones’ model, where you have seasons, or at least a 10-part series, or a 12-part series. You could really go from beginning to end.
That approach would definitely benefit the material, but I've got my finger's crossed that Denis Villeneuve will be able to pull it off. Although a full-fledged DUNE TV series isn't in the cards right now, there is a TV spin-off in the works which will serve as a companion series to the upcoming film. Titled Dune: The Sisterhood, the series will explore the world of DUNE through "the eyes of a mysterious order of women known as the Bene Gesserit. Given extraordinary abilities by their mastery of the body and the mind, the Bene Gesserit expertly weave through the feudal politics and intrigue of The Imperium, pursuing plans of their own that will ultimately lead them to the enigmatic planet Arrakis, known to its inhabitants as Dune." Kyle MacLachlan will next be seen playing Thomas Edison opposite Ethan Hawke in TESLA, which is slated to be released on August 21st.
The sprawling all-star cast of DUNE includes Timothée Chalamet's (THE KING) as Paul Atreides, Rebecca Ferguson (DOCTOR SLEEP) as Lady Jessica, and Oscar Isaac (STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER) as Duke Leto Atreides. The film also stars Stellan Skarsgard (THOR) as the villainous Baron Harkonnen, Dave Bautista (BLADE RUNNER 2049) as his sadistic nephew, Glossu "Beast" Rabban, Charlotte Rampling (RED SPARROW) as the Reverend Mother Mohiam, the emperor's truthsayer, Josh Brolin (AVENGERS: ENDGAME) as Gurney Halleck, a troubadour-swordsman, Javier Bardem (PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES) as Stilgar, the leader of the Fremen, Jason Momoa (AQUAMAN) as Duncan Idaho, a swordmaster in the house of Atreides, Zendaya (SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME) as Chani, a Fremen who becomes a love interest to Paul Atreides, and David Dastmalchian (ANT-MAN AND THE WASP) as Piter De Vries, a twisted Mentat. DUNE will be hitting theaters on December 18, 2020.