Hey! Wanna hear something really wild? Peter Berg, the actor guy who directed Friday Night Lights and The Kingdom? He’s attached to Paramount’s proposed, mega-budgeted remake of Dune!
The especially breathtaking aspect of Variety‘s non-story is that they’ve added zero detail to AICN‘s original spy report. We already knew that the Herbert family was in talks with Paramount and producer Kevin Misher, while Peter Berg confirmed his interest in an interview with MTV Movies way back in December. Is it a shocker that Paramount sees the property as a tentpole film? Nope. Are there screenwriters attached? Not yet. Did they go through all the trouble of securing the rights so they could film the least faithful adaptation of Frank Herbert’s sci-fi classic imaginable? Amazingly, the studio wants to go the faithful route (with genuine production value, unlike the dull Sci-Fi Channel rendition).
Oh, wait! Here’s something! “The filmmakers consider [Dune‘s] theme of finite ecological resources particularly timely.” Eh, sounds like a bunch of Bene Gesserit hooey.
I’m still not sure what a Berg-directed version of Dune will look like, and that’s why I think he’s an ideal choice; after the beautifully bonkers Lynch take and the tedious television miniseries, why not try something unexpected? Alfonso Cuaron’s Children of Men was one of the more interesting science fiction films of the last ten years because it didn’t look or play like a conventional genre flick. Same goes for Aronofsky’s The Fountain. Even if Berg falls flat on his face, at least we know he won’t be pandering – and I’ll take an honest failure over studio-processed mediocrity every time.
Guess we’ll have to start snooping around with regards to who’s being courted to write this epic. Expect to read about it in Variety sometime this July!
15 comments
I said this over in the AICN talkback too, but I just have to say it again: Reading an article written by those shit sniffers over at Variety is akin to getting cancer. Jesus, their use of "lingo" is so fucking patronizing I can not even put it into words HULK SMASH FUCK YOU VARIETY.
Peter Berg is cool.
I do respect originality and the unexpected turn. But I have to admit to thinking it might be neat if Berg stayed in the Lynchian version of that world and retained the bulk of the art direction and costume design while doing more justice to the story material (I don't know anything about Dune at all, really…it's like Tron where I don't remember any of it but often think about the aesthetic of it.) I don't know how much of a voice Berg really has at this point in his films. I feel like he is still in apprentice territory where he tries a bunch of different things and still hasn't really defined himself. So with that I think he could pull of a pretty decent Lynch riff, like Berg's other film's were good riffs on their respective genres.
Let me give you a reason Variety didn't get around to it until now: No one cares except hard-core geeks. Dude, I'm betting the staffers there read AICN just like anyone else, but the fact that another Dune is coming is such a non-story they didn't bother until they had a slow news week. Here I am defending Variety, which I never read, but another Dune is not needed. First, it is one of the most movie-unfriendly novels ever written. Second, directors deserve nothing but scorn for cranking out remakes when they should be adapting sci-fi novels that haven't been made into movies (there are sci-fi stories out there just as good as Dune) or coming up with original works.
What is that picture of?
The photo is TOTO.
And I may be the only person alive that owns a copy of the TOTO score to Lynch's Dune.
Who would've thought Corky Romano's illiterate older brother would turn out to have chops as a director.
Bring back Jodorofsky!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yeah, I was kind of pissed off watching the otherwise excellent Dangerous Days documentary on Blade Runner that Ridley Scott was made out to be the only filmmaker who had previously attempted to film Dune. Jodorowsky was gonna cast Salvador Dali as Baron Harkonnen, for fuck's sake – it's a crying shame that never happened. Would've been no closer to the book than Lynch's version, but certainly would've been more distinctive. Also, I kind of agree with Walter that there are other S/F novels out there that could do with some cinematic exposure – especially since the previous Dune adaptations have been colossal budget-munchers. Another pricey version that still doesn't get it right just won't do.
Actually he was going to cast Salvador as the Emperor. On the toilet. For the entire film. As for unfilmable, four letters LOTR. Other SciFi that hasn't been filmed? Yeah because Solaris was such a runaway. It has to be profitable or all of the 'other' ones are delayed, or not made at all.
Dune + Berg = suck. He was ok in Shocker, but I am rather bored with his film output. I don't hate him, but I don't love anything he's done. I would rather see someone like Darren Aronofsky or James Cameron tackle such a mammoth moive. You need someone who is a real fucking nerd, in a good way, to make this work. Sure Berg pretends to play with the big boys, but he seems more likely to be getting dollar dances at a strip club than obsessing over the intricasies of a SciFi landmark. Whatever, maybe he will prove me wrong. Snooze.
After Jodorofsky and Lynch, Peter Berg seems like such a pedestrian choice. Who watches VERY BAD THINGS and THE RUNDOWN and says, 'we need this guy on Dune stat'. Shit. I like the guy, but the geek love is a bit overdone.
atinyspeckofdust – Yeah, Jodorowsky. Or better yet, H.R. Giger's concept art for that version. At least it would look cool. I actually think Lynch was off to the right start. His movie is a mess, but at least he does manage to get onto screen SOME of the things that make the book so awesome.
If I remember correctly, I heard that Jodorowsky wanted to cast Dali but that Dali made far too many eccentric demands. Jodorowsky then planned to use a puppet in the likeness of Dali to play the Emperor. Anyway, I'm not sure Berg is the best choice either (I'd have rather seen Ridley Scott or Alfonso Cuaron take the helm), but having liked the films of his that I've seen, I'm willing to give him a chance.
Nope jester, I own the soundtrack too. It sounds less shameful to my friends if I say "I own the Dune soundtrack" than "hey, I own a movie soundtrack by Toto!"
I'm jazzed for this, even though I wish Harrison and Rubenstein were able to continue the miniseries adapations. For all their flaws, I loved the Sci-Fi channel versions, especially Children of Dune.
TOTO?
This is the strangest non-story.
Fuck it, they should keep making Dune movies.
Shoot it, see what happens.
People give the Sci-Fi miniseries shit, but it was good enough.
What do people expect from Space Opera?
Who wants a third better version of Dune? NERDS@! No one else.
I love the Lynch movie. I remember seeing it for the first time in theaters as a teenager and I became a bit obsessed with it. I've seen all the versions and there are many.
Would you re-make Blue Velvet?
No?
How about Elephant Man?
I know this isn't Elephant Man!
O.K. how about a Lost Highway re-make?
Alright, now that's just silly.
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