World of Blue - Archived Forum 2007-2022

From moviesblog.mtv.com:

Ladies and gentlemen, the next huge sci-fi franchise has a director. During an interview with director Peter Berg, he confirmed the rumor that DUNE is coming and that he's the one that will helm it. Calling the plans for him to direct "a done deal," Berg said that "if it weren't for the writer's strike, we'd be in it right now."

Berg says that while there's no script yet, they have a list of writers they plan to go out to once the strike settle. The helmer called himself "a huge fan of the book" and when asked about the scale of the film, he simply replied, "big big big."

What did he say about our DUNE? As any fan of the Frank Herbert classic knows, DUNE received the big screen treatment once before in a divisive David Lynch film. Berg said that while he's "a big fan of Lynch," he believes "that interpretation has left the door wide open for a remake."

The Herbert Limited Partnership has still refused to comment.

Say it isn't so.

The Kingdom was pretty good but watch the making of with Peter Berg... He comes across more like Michael Bay jr.

...well I don't want to be judgemental but I think David Lynch brought a lot of himself to Dune, even if he doesn't admit it. And I can't picture Dune without Kyle as Paul.

It will be all CGI unfortunately. What I loved about Dune was all the model work and set design--alot of which David helped concept.

Plus the whole idea of the Sleeper has Awakened, etc., really seems to fit in with David's personal views on meditation & TM.

I agree with you totally; I don't see how it could improve (I hated those Sci-Fi TV movies.) I was just posting this out of interest. You should see all of the discussion over at the DUNE boards, with people suggesting cast members and all!!! I agree that Patrick Stewart was way too good looking to be a convincing Gurney Halleck, but then who knew back then?

I'm delighted to hear Frank Herbert's novel will receive another adaptation. Neither of the two previous versions has done his work justice, so it would be great to see a lengthy, epic movie take advantage of all the technology now available to filmmakers.

I'll wait and see what Mr Berg does with the film. David Lynch's marvellous, if frustrating, version isn't going to be consigned to the dustbin and every print, DVD and VHS burned because of a new adaptation. Let's be chilled out and cross our fingers!!

Well, keep your eyes and ears peeled! With the writer's strike over, it should get going now. I'll report back from the Dune message boards if I see anything new.

There's news, although I can't say I'm too excited. Apparently Paramount wants to make this a really big deal, BUT Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (the team who has been spinning out dozens of new DUNE novels) are going to be CO-PRODUCERS. Not sure how much power that gives them, but the Herbert Family is evidently very happy.
See the entire article here:
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117982560.html?c=13

As long as material from Herbert Jr and Anderson's (awful) prequels doesn't make it into the film, we'll be ok!

Dune is a terribly difficult book to adapt anyway. I'd love to see a movie do it justice, but I think it's simply too dense a text for one movie! realistically it would take two or three movies to pack in all the detail from the first book. The sequels are, on the other hand, probably easier to adapt. Even Sci Fi proved that with the far superior Children of Dune series!

Gabriel wrote:As long as material from Herbert Jr and Anderson's (awful) prequels doesn't make it into the film, we'll be ok!

I wouldn't put it past those guys incorporating their own ideas in as the co-producers of the film; they have the blessing of the Herbert Limited Trust and that scares me! (I'll keep you guys updated with news from the Dune forum.)

I forgot to update that the desert scenes are likely to be filmed in Israel.

FYI, just found out that Byron Merritt (Frank's grandson who runs the DUNE board) said we should find out more about the movie within the next 60 days.

Stay tuned...

OK, this update is a little late, but I haven't been hanging out much in the Duniverse.


From Scifiwire.com 8/05/09
by Fred Topel

Director Berg envisions an epic adventure Dune film

David Lynch's Dune
Frank Herbert's sci-fi novel Dune"”which spawned five sequels in Herbert's lifetime and prequels after his death"”has been problematic for filmmakers, but that's not stopping director Peter Berg from developing a new movie he plans to direct.

Director David Lynch famously had problems adapting the sprawling book in 1984. Syfy's 2000 miniseries adaptation did a bit better in terms of audience and critical reception, but Berg feels there's still room for a new feature film.

"I think I had a much more different experience, I think, with the book than David Lynch did," Berg said in an exclusive interview on last week at the Television Critics Association summer press tour in Pasadena, Calif., where he was promoting his Wayne Gretzky documentary for ESPN. "To me, I think my interpretation will feel significantly different from that and the [Syfy] Channel miniseries that aired. I have a different experience than both of those filmmakers did."

Lynch's film focused in part on the politics of the feuding houses of Herbert's novel, who contend while trying to control the flow of melange, the spice that facilitates space travel, which is found only on the desert planet of Arrakis.

Berg sees the story more as an epic adventure. "[The book] was much more muscular and adventurous, more violent and possibly even a little bit more fun," Berg said. "I think those are all elements of my experience of the book that can be brought in without offending the die-hard fans of the Bene Gesserit and Kwisatz Haderach. There's a more dynamic film to be made."

Before Berg can direct, a filmable Dune script just has to be finished within Berg's scheduling parameters. "I'm finishing this [documentary] now, we're editing it now," he said. "I think it's going to be in the Toronto Film Festival. [I'm] working now on getting Friday Night Lights up for the new season and getting Dune up and running. I'm working all the time."

Looks like Dune isn't happening for now. Dune needs a Peter Jackson-type who will respect the series for what it is.

Gabriel, where do you get your information? Peter Berg is no longer directing, and they are looking for a new director, which is TOP SECRET information. But again, according the the Herbert Ltd. Partnership, the movie will go on. Go read if you want at dunenovels.com.