Well it looks pretty official now. After months of rumors, Peter Berg has been officially announced as the director of a brand new film adaptation of Frank Herbert's classic sci fi novel Dune. Berg, actor come director has recently been upping his game with films like The Kingdom, and Will Smith's newest opus Hancock. He's also the executive producer behind one of tvs best shows, Friday Night Lights. He is a likable guy, a decent actor, and a solid director. I don't know that he'll ever be Spielberg, but the man definitely does have some chops, and this project is a real win.
While I, along with every other sci fi fantasy geek out there, love Dune in all its forms; all of the previous adaptations of it left something to be desired. I don't want to go off about it because it's late, and Bernard will get on my case when I say something wrong here, but Dune is just one of those properties that does not seem to lend itself to adaptation very well. The story is grand, maybe too grand for a film. But I know I want it to work.
Berg has talent, and since this project is still at the stage where its being shopped out to writers, I'll gladly reserve judgment for the time being. Let's keep our fingers crossed that someone out there can get this thing right this time.
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While I, along with every other sci fi fantasy geek out there, love Dune in all its forms; all of the previous adaptations of it left something to be desired. I don't want to go off about it because it's late, and Bernard will get on my case when I say something wrong here, but Dune is just one of those properties that does not seem to lend itself to adaptation very well. The story is grand, maybe too grand for a film. But I know I want it to work.
Berg has talent, and since this project is still at the stage where its being shopped out to writers, I'll gladly reserve judgment for the time being. Let's keep our fingers crossed that someone out there can get this thing right this time.
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1 comment:
I was actually discussing the merits of a new Dune adaptation last night. I thought it was too soon after the Sci-Fi/Space Channel's attempt. An attempt that should have been aborted less than two weeks into production if you ask me.
Anyway, my conversation partner believed that it couldn't be done in a decent film ... speaking similarly to you. I believe that it can be done. It'd have to be very true to the form...but it can be done. The big difficulties will be in Guildsmen, and sand worms.
The big things are really keeping the numbers the same, though even I think that Herbert somewhere lost scale in his book. Somehow waging interstellar battle for control of planets seems to need more than just 5000 troops here or there - even if it -is- a small planet. ;)
I'm excited. But I was excited for the the last incarnation... and was sorely disappointed. Though few things can be as disappointing in my mind as HGTTG, which was perfectly suited to the task of movieisation.
BvB
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