Dune 2021

[Veho]

So there's this new Dune movie being directed by Denis Villeneuve.
His movies are prone to navel gazing and are often accused of bordering on pretentiousness (which side of the border depends on who you ask), but visually impressive, so he's perfect to direct Dune (FITE ME).
Still, this is an ambitious project. Many have tried. Tried and failed.
Jodorowsky's 15 hour acid trip was ultimately abandoned.
Ridley Scott had a script written by Frank Herbert himself, but gave up in the face of the challenge.
David Lynch tried to condense (roughly) 10 hours of content, meaning and wheels within wheels into three hours of movie, and then had to cut one third off with a cleaver and cauterize the wounds with a fire poker. Opinions on the results are... mixed.
The SyFy miniseries held onto the letter of the books while completely missing the point (FITE ME). Don't get me wrong, the series makes a good audio book. Just don't look.
And don't get me started on Children of Dune.


So anyway, Villeneuve took on the thankless, cursed task of bringing Dune to the big screen. He's splitting it into two parts. I think this makes sense.

Anyway. Enough ranting. Here are the promo photos from the set:

Spoiler: Promo pics for Dune 2020

Timothée Chalamet and Rebecca Ferguson as Paul Atreides and the Lady Jessica.

Oscar Isaac as Duke Leto Atreides

Josh Brolin as Gurney Halleck.

Jason Momoa as Duncan Idaho.

Zendaya as Chani.

More Zendaya as more Chani.

Javier Bardem as Stilgar

One more of the Bene Gesserit witch Lady Jessica.
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Should come out in December this year (if it doesn't get pushed back because of the second spike of COVID-19 that epidemiologists are warning about) so we'll see what we shall see.

Thoughts?


EDIT: trailer oop:

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More thoughts?

 

[Alexander1970]

Maybe like Peter Jackson with Hobbit/Lord of the Rings....
Time for a real "complete" Dune Movie (Trilogy ?).

I like the 1984er Movie,maybe because it was "not so detailed" like in Herberts Book Cycle described.
(and of course because of many from my favorite Actors...).

I would give the Project a Chance.Denis Villeneuve have a Bonus for me,he did a good Job on Blade Runner 2049.

 

[Veho]

Maybe like Peter Jackson with Hobbit

Please God no

 

[FAST6191]

Saw them elsewhere for some reason.

Not bad, though not especially iconic.

I am waiting to see the end result though.

 

[Veho]

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[FAST6191]

I don't know if I am the market for that. Almost feels like another superhero origin story that I saw several times before, plus cartoons as a kid (albeit cartoons here = Dune 2 battle Arrakis game). I hope they do get some sequels though as I will definitely up for them, though I struggle to see this being a runaway hit (one always hopes but unless they are going to retool the story I doubt they will overcome the same problem that fans of the books have faced for however long now*) and WB are not exactly in the position to be funding passion projects and the last few months have exposed even more of a "perform or you are gone" mindset.
Likewise I am not sure I can buy that lead actor's turn to what will come for the sequels. It is not impossible but it will be one of the greatest turns of acting I have ever seen if he does it. Never seen anything he has done before though so call me marginally optimistic.

*think my favourite pondering here was along the lines of ask 30 Dune fans about it and how many will tell you about the world rather than the story told in it or the characters, or indeed even be apologetic for it.

Ornithopters looked nice but if that is the highest complement then yeah. Not so sure about the design of the sandworms (epic and impressive and whatnot, however could not be more generic). Stillsuits... not bad but I do wonder if we have the Judge Dredd issue (kind of like that Knightfall approach to such things actually with the cuts to inside the helmet-- they covered the leader/tester of the Bene Gesserit as well).

 

[TheCasualties]

I'll certainly watch it and am hopefull it will be good. Lol my dad sometimes re-told some stories from the old dune books as bedtime stories (made bedtime story appropriate of course).

I'll always enjoy sand worm stuff. Tremors, that Half Life 2 level**.. not much else I suppose. I did like the dune RTS game(s?) too. The spice must flow.

**That level was simply "keep off the sand" since it's not actually worms, but I really love that level.


I should start reading to books someday soon.

 

[Methanoid]

TBH I loved the SyFy series.... given the budget they had.....

 

[Flame]

https://collider.com/dune-movie-new-release-date-delayed-2021/

Delayed Until October 2021. ouch.

 

[Veho]

Ouch indeed.

All the major upcoming blockbusters were pushed back to the second half of 2021 instead of getting a streaming service release. Studios are still banking on cinemas as their first and primary revenue so they've decided to sit on the major movies until the pandemic blows over.

 

[Veho]

New trailer up:

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Thanks, I hate it.

 

[Alexander1970]

New trailer up:

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Thanks, I hate it.

Hated it before I have seen it.

 

[AncientBoi]

Does this mean your doing Dune racing, as well as formula 1?

 

[FAST6191]

Not even sure where to start with that one.

Sandworm still looks like generic scary monster-- millions of teeth is a thing you and be quite scary but that failed (I am not sure why, or indeed sure I have the necessary vocabulary. The teeth shimmering/oscillating a bit so I can't potentially sit there and count them probably being a start, though that is probably another way of saying I want my eye to be confused if looking at it).

Again if that lead character is supposed to become that character from the various sequels and later aspects of the story... Stealth assassin/ace pilot, sure. Warrior leader mystic... harder.

Harkonnen... for something supposed to be "not even human" then yeah... can we have almost any other depiction? Failing that if you intercut the fizzy lifting drink from charlie and the chocolate factory for the baron I would probably be more unnerved.

Leto I and Lady Jessica... only a few short shots there, however if the trailer peeps had the best of it to make something from... oh dear. Now I never particularly saw Leto as more than a seriously competent character somewhat out of his depth (have not done the prequels he is in though) but everybody else seems to have Lady Jessica as someone you underestimate once, nothing on that front here.

Jason Momoa as Duncan Idaho... I admit I am curious here, though I would probably have him be Gurney Halleck and the other guy (Josh Brolin, Cable from Deadpool 2, and Thanos if you want to go that way) be Duncan Idaho if keeping the same cast.

Fremen narrator... not impossible but a brave choice.

 

[Veho]

Jason Momoa as Duncan Idaho... I admit I am curious here, though I would probably have him be Gurney Halleck

Gurney Halleck was always described as a mountain of a man with a face only a mother could love. This does not fit the bill. Man who played this, yes. But still they underplayed the prominent, ugly inkvine whip scar, because everyone has to be pretty in movies.

Fremen narrator... not impossible but a brave choice.

Only if not a single line of that whiny narration from the start of the trailer makes it into the movie.


Also, the entire movie is done, finished, completed, ready to go, it's not like they're in a crunch to get it done on time, the whole movie was done a year ago, and it's really sad that they couldn't find better lines to put in the trailer.

 

[FAST6191]

Gurney Halleck was always described as a mountain of a man with a face only a mother could love. This does not fit the bill. Man who played this, yes. But still they underplayed the prominent, ugly inkvine whip scar, because everyone has to be pretty in movies.


Only if not a single line of that whiny narration from the start of the trailer makes it into the movie.


Also, the entire movie is done, finished, completed, ready to go, it's not like they're in a crunch to get it done on time, the whole movie was done a year ago, and it's really sad that they couldn't find better lines to put in the trailer.

Yeah it would probably have to be a Sonic level redo or snyder cut type deal to do much.

As far as characters. Prosthetics and makeup can do wonders these days for making uggos out of not that. I was thinking more fighting styles as I have not seen Momoa as anything more than a bruiser since Stargate Atlantis, where the section against the shielded guy towards the end seemed pretty fitting.

Also yeah I hope that is a one of those "for the trailer" lines that is nowhere near final release. I also hope this does not mean we get basically hippie environmentalist fremen for this one.

 

[Xzi]

Haven't read the books myself, thought the trailers were decent. Lots of recognizable actors certainly, and the tidbits of story given had me interested enough. But then I realize it's WB, which has been releasing straight-to-DVD quality stuff, at best, all year. Certainly unfortunate for people that know the books well, because I'm sure this won't remain true to them in some ways and won't have even a tenth of their detail.

 

[Jiehfeng]

I just came across this with the new trailer, was genuinely interested by the cast that was chosen.

I have no idea what's going on for the most part watching that trailer, but I'm not going to make assumptions right now. There have been great movies with shit trailers as well so we'll see how this goes. I might give it a watch when it comes out.

 

[AsPika2219]

Nice movie and nice sandworm monster! Just similar to 1984 version and even the PC game Dune a long time ago.

 

[AncientBoi]

Hmm, might be something to see. But it does make me think of Tremors.