So....Dune 2020. Cool?

[Amnorix]

I learned today for the first time that a remake of the awesome book (and decidedly less awesome early 80s movie) Dune is being made, and is currently in post-production with a release date of December 18, 2020.

The cast includes many I don't know, but the ones I do know seem excellent for their roles. It's damn near a Marvel reunion...

Jason Mamoa as Duncan Idaho (the swordmaster of House Atreides)

Josh Brolin as Gurney Halleck (weaponsmaster of House Atreides, played memorably (and surprisingly) by Patrick Stewart in the original movie

Stellan Skarsgard as Baron Harkonnen

Dave Bautista (better known as Drax the Destroyer) as "Beast" Rabban, the nephew of Harkonnen


The most critical guy -- the one playing Paul is unknown to me. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3154303/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_t3

This film is also only going to cover the first half of the book, which is good. It's really not possible to cover the whole thing in one 2 or 3 hour movie.

Anyway -- I love the book and a really good film would be great. What say you about all this news? Or am I just the last to known (as would be typical, to be honest!)

[Hammock Parties]

[BWillie]

Originally Posted by Fish

‘Dune’ Sequel Greenlighted By Legendary & Warner Bros; Pic Will Get Theatrical Window In October 2023

Two ****ing years.

God damn it.

At least it's not 22 years between Avatar movies, though.

[BWillie]

Originally Posted by Mennonite

I didn't think this was very good. Wrong choice in director and in lead actor. Stick with the book, imo.

I thought the kid could act TBH - but I didn't read the book so have no idea what to expect.

Didn't really see enough of Zendaya to form an opinion on her performance yet.

[Baby Lee]

[sully1983]

Loved it. My favorite film of this year and doubt it'll be topped. It was great to see this sci fi epic in theaters. And I can give it a re watch on HBO Max whenever I want to pick out things I may have missed.

9/10

(I still think Blade Runner 2049 is the superior film but what Vileneuve pulled off here with Dune was incredible too ) Can't wait for Part 2

Here's how I'd rank Denis Villeneuve's filmography

1. Blade Runner 2049 10/10
2. Dune 9/10
3. Sicario 8.5/10
4. Prisoners 8/10
5. Arrival 7.5/10
6. Enemy 7/10

[Pants]

Originally Posted by sully1983

Loved it. My favorite film of this year and doubt it'll be topped. It was great to see this sci fi epic in theaters. And I can give it a re watch on HBO Max whenever I want to pick out things I may have missed.

9/10

(I still think Blade Runner 2049 is the superior film but what Vileneuve pulled off here with Dune was incredible too ) Can't wait for Part 2

Here's how I'd rank Denis Villeneuve's filmography

1. Blade Runner 2049 10/10
2. Dune 9/10
3. Sicario 8.5/10
4. Prisoners 8/10
5. Arrival 7.5/10
6. Enemy 7/10

I like the way you think. I disagree slightly on the first two, though. I enjoyed the shit out of 2049 but Dune took me to places very few movies have.

[Bowser]

Originally Posted by Pants

I like the way you think. I disagree slightly on the first two, though. I enjoyed the shit out of 2049 but Dune took me to places very few movies have.

That's some serious praise.

[-King-]

As someone who not only didn't read the book but didn't even know about it's existence until this movie was announced, I really liked it. Sucks having to wait 2 years for part 2 though.

I think it's also interesting that I found 2049 kind of boring while I was into this movie the whole time even while knowing it was only half a story.

[DanBecky]

Originally Posted by Frazod

For anybody who is confused by something they saw in the movie, I have a suggestion.

READ THE BOOK.

Dune is widely regarded as one of the best science novels ever written. If you like science fiction and haven't read it, you're doing yourself a disservice.

I know you’re a huge fan of the series so I may be asking the wrong person, but how hard are the books to get through? Is it comparable to Tolkien’s LOTR trilogy? Granted I haven’t done any research on the books before asking you. I adored Tolkien’s books growing up, read them so many times in my teens. I tried to go back recently some 15 years later and the books just seem……needlessly complex? Regardless of your answer I’ve pretty much made up my mind I will read the first book regardless bc I know it is held in such high regard. Thanks in advance.

[Frazod]

Originally Posted by DanBecky

I know you’re a huge fan of the series so I may be asking the wrong person, but how hard are the books to get through? Is it comparable to Tolkien’s LOTR trilogy? Granted I haven’t done any research on the books before asking you. I adored Tolkien’s books growing up, read them so many times in my teens. I tried to go back recently some 15 years later and the books just seem……needlessly complex? Regardless of your answer I’ve pretty much made up my mind I will read the first book regardless bc I know it is held in such high regard. Thanks in advance.

When it comes to the original Frank Herbert books, sadly they get progressively worse. The second and third (Dune Messiah and Children of Dune) are okay, but the fourth book (God Emperor of Dune) is a boring, incoherent mess. I tried off and on for decades to get through it without success. I'm told the fifth and sixth books are better, but I never bothered to read them.

There are, however, several books set in the Dune universe co-written by Herbert's son Brian and based on his father's notes that I did enjoy, particularly a three book series set in the years immediately preceding the events of the original novel. One of my biggest problems with the fourth book is that it is set thousands of years in the future from the events of the original, so all of the characters I cared about were absent. Most of them are present in the prequel series, and I enjoyed learning about their origins and backstories.

[mr. tegu]

So the books are somewhat independent of each other in that the this two part movie is based on only the first book and will still have a satisfactory conclusion?

[Frazod]

Originally Posted by mr. tegu

So the books are somewhat independent of each other in that the this two part movie is based on only the first book and will still have a satisfactory conclusion?

Yes, very much so.

It's difficult to say why I don't like the next two books that much without giving away important story points. But let's just say that in the first book the Atreides are heroic and honorable, and in the following books that goes in the shitter pretty quickly.

[lawrenceRaider]

Originally Posted by Frazod

When it comes to the original Frank Herbert books, sadly they get progressively worse. The second and third (Dune Messiah and Children of Dune) are okay, but the fourth book (God Emperor of Dune) is a boring, incoherent mess. I tried off and on for decades to get through it without success. I'm told the fifth and sixth books are better, but I never bothered to read them.

There are, however, several books set in the Dune universe co-written by Herbert's son Brian and based on his father's notes that I did enjoy, particularly a three book series set in the years immediately preceding the events of the original novel. One of my biggest problems with the fourth book is that it is set thousands of years in the future from the events of the original, so all of the characters I cared about were absent. Most of them are present in the prequel series, and I enjoyed learning about their origins and backstories.

Book 6, Chapterhouse, I found to be excellent. The 2nd best book of the series. God Emperor is atrociously bad. Heretics of Dune is "OK", certainly much better than God Emperor.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by DanBecky

I know you’re a huge fan of the series so I may be asking the wrong person, but how hard are the books to get through? Is it comparable to Tolkien’s LOTR trilogy? Granted I haven’t done any research on the books before asking you. I adored Tolkien’s books growing up, read them so many times in my teens. I tried to go back recently some 15 years later and the books just seem……needlessly complex? Regardless of your answer I’ve pretty much made up my mind I will read the first book regardless bc I know it is held in such high regard. Thanks in advance.

I think the books are MUCH easier to read than Tolkien or George R.R. Martin.

(note: I also may be a bad judge of this, as my favorite book series/author is Steven Eriksen, who is a freaking genius but writes books that really make you work. The payoff is 100 percent worth it, IMO, but it has made most books seem like easy reading to me).

Side note for anyone else who hasn't seen my thoughts on Eriksen's Malazan series/universe... but if you're looking for a big, meaty, thought-provoking fantasy epic, it's the pinacle of that form, IMO.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by Frazod

Yes, very much so.

It's difficult to say why I don't like the next two books that much without giving away important story points. But let's just say that in the first book the Atreides are heroic and honorable, and in the following books that goes in the shitter pretty quickly.

Spoiler!

I totally get where you're coming from here. I had a hard time with it when I first read the books. As I've gotten older, I've gained more appreciation for what Herbert was doing with Paul and Leto II. The weight of prescience and expectations and doing what is best for humanity versus what is easy and popular has more appeal to me as a mature adult than it did when I was 19.

I will say, I really really enjoyed the House Atreides/House Harkonnen/House Corrino trilogy. I think I read Atreides before Dune, actually. Those are good. I wish the rest of the Brian Herbert/Anderson collaboration had been more successful.