While David Lynch's 1984 attempt to adapt Frank Herbert's dense 1965 sci-fi epic DUNE was impeccably cast and contained some memorable images (which is to be expected of the visionary director), the production was such a disaster that at one point Lynch demanded an "Alan Smithee" credit be given to it. Afterward, there were a couple of well-received DUNE miniseries from sci-fi in the early 2000s, but those were hampered a bit by TV budget restraints.
Which is why I'm super excited about Denis Villeneuve's upcoming big-budget, blockbuster remake, as he has shown himself with BLADE RUNNER 2049 that he is adept at large scale sci-fi, while retaining the spirit of a property, as well as making sure the emotional core and character drama isn't lost in the spectacle. Besides that, ARRIVAL may very well be in my top 10 of favorite movies of all time. So I'm all in on his vision of DUNE.
Here's the official synopsis:
Set in the distant future amidst a feudal interstellar society in which various noble houses control planetary fiefs, Dune tells the story of young Paul Atreides, whose family accepts the stewardship of the planet Arrakis. While the planet is an inhospitable and sparsely populated desert wasteland, it is the only source of melange, or "the spice", a drug that extends life and enhances mental abilities. Melange is also necessary for space navigation, which requires a kind of multidimensional awareness and foresight that only the drug provides.[6] As melange can only be produced on Arrakis, control of the planet is thus a coveted and dangerous undertaking. The story explores the multi-layered interactions of politics, religion, ecology, technology, and human emotion, as the factions of the empire confront each other in a struggle for the control of Arrakis and its spice.
And today, Empire has shown us more of said vision, with a new still showing an action scene involving Josh Brolin and Timothee Chalamet as Gurney Halleck and Paul Atreides, respectively. According to director Villeneuve, "It’s Paul’s first contact with the deep desert, where he’s mesmerised by it…He has a strange feeling of being home. There’s a lot of action at this specific moment, and [it’s] one of the scenes in the movie that I’m starting to get pretty proud of." You can see the still below:
Meanwhile, the film is still set to be released December 18th, but we'll keep you updated if that remains the case.
But what do you guys think? Fans of DUNE? If so, how do you think Villeneuve's film looks so far? Either way, sound off below!