There's been little new information since we originally reported that a new Dune movie was being developed with Peter Berg directing, but io9 has picked up a few scraps from producer Kevin Misher, and Reelzchannel has a casting rumour. Fortunately it appears Peter Berg’s new Dune movie could be with us sooner than expected.
When asked why he got involved with the adaptation, Misher said that Dune “is one of my favourite books of all time, and I made a movie with Pete called The Rundown, which people seemed to like a little bit, so we decided to get back together. Pete had loved the book as well. It's a great opportunity for us.”
He called the new movie a “reboot” rather than a remake. Given the flaws in David Lynch’s 1984 movie version of Dune I’m glad to hear it. A movie closer to Frank Herbert’s excellent novel is what I’d like to see on screen, much closer than Lynch’s mangled version.
When asked if the Fremen were still going to have bright blue eyes, the result of their addiction to the life giving spice, Misher said, “Yes, of course. Spice is part of the book”.
There has also been news on the casting front, with Robert Pattinson, the star of the recent hit vampire movie Twilight, tipped to play the lead role of Paul Atreides. Reelzchannel reports that Robert Pattinson sparked the rumours after he was spotted leaving director Peter Berg's Beverly Hills pad. Having watched Twilight recently, Pattinson seems like a good choice for a young Paul Atreides. It would certainly make sense to give the role to an actor whose star is rapidly rising. Pattinson is now filming the Twilight sequel, The Twilight Saga: New Moon.
I’m glad to hear something from the new Dune production. A lot of the big budget science fiction book to movie adaptations lately seem to get announced and are then never heard of again. What happening with Asimov’s Foundation movies for example, or the adaptation of his novel, The End of Eternity? The movie adaptation of Philip K. Dick’s novel Ubik and Ridley Scott’s movie version of Aldus Huxley’s Brave New World are another two seemingly missing in action.
Let’s hope this new movie is an epic Dune production worthy of Frank Herbert’s masterpiece. It won’t be long before sand worms are roaming across the dunes of Arrakis once more.
Watch a TV interview with author Frank Herbert discussing Dune below.
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