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
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!) [Reply]
I read the first Dune book decades ago. It's the only one I read. I really liked it. But felt like the story ended in a good spot and heard some of the subsequent books got a bit weird. So that's all I read.
I do think it would be confusing to see the movie without any context. But a confusing movie got me to read the book. Maybe that will be the case for others as well. [Reply]
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.
Spoiler!
I had a really hard time with it. I mean, basically the Atreides turned into murderous zealots and killed billions of people. Yeah, Paul felt bad about it, but big fucking deal. Hard to root for genocidal killers.
Originally Posted by -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.
Same.
I didn't know Villanueve (or whatever) did Arrival. I didn't really like that movie either, but loved Sicario and Prisoners. [Reply]
Originally Posted by BWillie:
At least it's not 22 years between Avatar movies, though.
First off, I have no idea why people liked Avatar.
Secondly, as someone who hasn't read the Dune books, or really knew nothing about this until I sat down to watch, I was pleasantly surprised. It felt Star Wars-ish - not in a bad way. There were some slow moving parts, but overall I really enjoyed it. My only complaint was that my wife & I were really getting into it and then..... it's over. :-) [Reply]
Originally Posted by keg in kc:
It felt Star Wars-ish because it's one of the primary sources that Lucas borrowed elements from to build that universe.
I assumed that after I looked up and found the books were written in the 60's. So I guess I should say that Star Wars seems Dune-ish. [Reply]
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.
Good to know. I knew this one was going to just end at some point so so I was prepared but it’ll be nice knowing I’m getting a completed story in the next movie. [Reply]
In the book is there a better reason for Duncan to have left the room they're in to go fight? I feel like they didn't make it seem urgent enough in the movie. He could have stayed and left through that escape tunnel with them.
In the book is there a better reason for Duncan to have left the room they're in to go fight? I feel like they didn't make it seem urgent enough in the movie. He could have stayed and left through that escape tunnel with them.
Spoiler!
I wondered about that. Seemed like a waste of effort when he could have just locked the door & followed them through the tunnel.
In the book is there a better reason for Duncan to have left the room they're in to go fight? I feel like they didn't make it seem urgent enough in the movie. He could have stayed and left through that escape tunnel with them.
Originally Posted by Mr. Plow:
Spoiler!
I wondered about that. Seemed like a waste of effort when he could have just locked the door & followed them through the tunnel.
Spoiler!
In the movie it was shown that the bad guys could cut through the door. The bad guys started doing that and pinned down the good guys. The good guys only escaped because Idaho had that second wind after he looked to be dead.
The Sardaukar are regarded as the best warriors in the galaxy. Duncan simply didn't want to risk any of them getting to Paul because he didn't think Paul was ready to face them. The reason the emperor turned on the Atreides in the first place was because (1) they were very popular among the other houses, and (2) were building a warrior force that was just as good as the Sardaukar. He basically wanted to nip that shit in the bud.
The Sardaukar are regarded as the best warriors in the galaxy. Duncan simply didn't want to risk any of them getting to Paul because he didn't think Paul was ready to face them. The reason the emperor turned on the Atreides in the first place was because (1) they were very popular among the other houses, and (2) were building a warrior force that was just as good as the Sardaukar. He basically wanted to nip that shit in the bud.
Spoiler!
And like so many people - real and imaginary - his actions sealed his own defeat.
Though Leto probably would have won over the Fremen if given time, anyway.
In the movie it was shown that the bad guys could cut through the door. The bad guys started doing that and pinned down the good guys. The good guys only escaped because Idaho had that second wind after he looked to be dead.
Spoiler!
If I'm remembering correctly, he left the room because he heard them coming - then when he left & locked the door, the bad guys started coming into the smaller room outside the door. Then the fight happens and once he was down the first time, that is when they started cutting through the door.
If the one chick had just went "Now that we're in here, lock that door so we can go through this secret tunnel" they'd of all survived. They only needed his second wind because they didn't just leave through the tunnel right away.
Watched it with the wife and daughter last night. I enjoyed it but was left wanting more. For a two and a half hour movie it didn't seem like a whole lot happened. Never read the books but now I think I need to do that. At least the first one.
It's weird having been on CP for 20 + years and just now realizing where long CPer in this thread got his username. [Reply]
