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Different Approaches to DUNE Movie

Posted: 02 Jun 2011 07:01
by Jodorowsky's Acolyte
Long live the water-stealers, Fremen of Jacurutu!
Since I've seen that Jacurutu has been deep in discussion for awhile on how the new DUNE movie will fail, or suck, I had been pondering myself as to what would make a really good film adaptation, or which approaches are best to adapt the book to film.
One idea would be to do a ten part miniseries, like the BBC TV films that used to show on Masterpiece Theater in the '70s and the '80s. Because those productions were really done on a cheap budget, the films were mainly done indoors and with minimal outdoor sets. However, the adaptation would concentrate more on adapting Frank Herbert's words than paraphrasing them or rephrasing them, like Lynch or Harrison did. Animatronic or puppet sandworms might do, and small blue screens and miniature desert sets. However, this idea sounds little like the '80s BBC version of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, so it may be too silly.
Another consideration would be, for a cinematic version, to start the film just when the Atreides have come to Arrakis. The events which took place on Caladan don't need to be filmed, but the references to it would still exist, so Mohiam's test of Paul would be left to the viewer's imagination.
Do any of you have you own personal approaches to how you would film DUNE? (And don't say that the book is too good for any film adaptation to do justice. I want REALLY creative and unique adaptation ideas).

Re: Different Approaches to DUNE Movie

Posted: 02 Jun 2011 08:46
by Serkanner
How is this for unique: Don't make a movie at all. Dune is a novel. Full stop. I am not interested at all in a Dune movie like I am also not interested in sandworm sandwiches.

Re: Different Approaches to DUNE Movie

Posted: 02 Jun 2011 17:28
by SandRider
:beat dead horse:

Re: Different Approaches to DUNE Movie

Posted: 02 Jun 2011 22:25
by Jodorowsky's Acolyte
I feel as if the Harkonnens keep sabotaging my carryall, and feed it to the sandworms. You are mean men from Geidi Prime! :( But you're all very cool guys, anyway. :)

Re: Different Approaches to DUNE Movie

Posted: 03 Jun 2011 00:00
by Freakzilla
I'm sure there are a lot of creative ideas out there for a faithful Dune treatment but we don't expect much what with who's in charge of the legacy.

Re: Different Approaches to DUNE Movie

Posted: 03 Jun 2011 07:50
by DuneFishUK
A 1960s style less-is-more adaptation would work really well. But a Bay-esque ultra blockbuster with splosions is where they think the money's at, and what they will pursue.

Re: Different Approaches to DUNE Movie

Posted: 03 Jun 2011 12:56
by A Thing of Eternity
I'd love to see Dune as an animated movie, or done in a seems-like-animated style like Sin City, I think it could work very well, or even anime style.

I have no beef with movies of Dune being made.

Re: Different Approaches to DUNE Movie

Posted: 03 Jun 2011 13:18
by Sev
I'd like to see a puppet version of Dune made, more specifically featuring the cast of 'Captain Scarlet' and 'Thunderbirds.' Imagine it:

Captain Scarlet as Paul Atreides
Lady Penelope as Jessica
Colonel White as the Emperor
Destiny Angel as Chani
The Hood as Baron Harkonnen
Captain Black as Pirer de Vries
Jeff Tracy as Duke Leto
Tintin as Irulan

It all fits I'm telling ya...

Re: Different Approaches to DUNE Movie

Posted: 03 Jun 2011 14:32
by Omphalos
I bet the Kids in the Hall would make a great Dune movie, plus their cross-dressers are a lot sexier then Monty Python's, so Jessica would be hot.

Re: Different Approaches to DUNE Movie

Posted: 03 Jun 2011 14:33
by A Thing of Eternity
Omphalos wrote:I bet the Kids in the Hall would make a great Dune movie, plus their cross-dressers are a lot sexier then Monty Python's, so Jessica would be hot.
Hell yeah man! I'm crushing your head, I'm crushing your head! :lol:

Re: Different Approaches to DUNE Movie

Posted: 03 Jun 2011 14:35
by Omphalos
A Thing of Eternity wrote:
Omphalos wrote:I bet the Kids in the Hall would make a great Dune movie, plus their cross-dressers are a lot sexier then Monty Python's, so Jessica would be hot.
Hell yeah man! I'm crushing your head, I'm crushing your head! :lol:
That would totally be an excellent weirding way!

Re: Different Approaches to DUNE Movie

Posted: 03 Jun 2011 15:54
by DuneFishUK
Sev wrote:I'd like to see a puppet version of Dune made, more specifically featuring the cast of 'Captain Scarlet' and 'Thunderbirds.' Imagine it:

Captain Scarlet as Paul Atreides
Lady Penelope as Jessica
Colonel White as the Emperor
Destiny Angel as Chani
The Hood as Baron Harkonnen
Captain Black as Pirer de Vries
Jeff Tracy as Duke Leto
Tintin as Irulan

It all fits I'm telling ya...
You know what... :think:

:)

(I still have a slight occasional desire to film a surprisingly lavish toy based adaptation of Dune)

Re: Different Approaches to DUNE Movie

Posted: 19 Jun 2011 14:27
by TheDukester
Serkanner wrote:How is this for unique: Don't make a movie at all. Dune is a novel. Full stop.
Amen, brother. Preach it.

My life would be complete without one ... especially given the idiots with the rights to the project.

Re: Different Approaches to DUNE Movie

Posted: 22 Jun 2011 22:42
by merkin muffley
Muppets.

Re: Different Approaches to DUNE Movie

Posted: 23 Jun 2011 00:59
by SandChigger
Thai shadow puppets! :D

Re: Different Approaches to DUNE Movie

Posted: 23 Jun 2011 01:12
by Robspierre
SandChigger wrote:Thai shadow puppets! :D
Penis Puppets!

Rob

Re: Different Approaches to DUNE Movie

Posted: 23 Jun 2011 08:40
by SandChigger
:shock:

You mean there is such a thing?

Oh dear...
These guys do live demonstrations and have put out DVDs on how to twist your penis into fun shapes (like the hamburger ...

Re: Different Approaches to DUNE Movie

Posted: 24 Jun 2011 03:36
by Redstar
For awhile I was looking forward to another filmed take on "Dune", but after the last two years of absolutely nothing happening I've realized that I don't really care if the novel is ever filmed again.

I might be interested in an animated adaptation, but even that is only slightly a better medium for the book than film.

Re: Different Approaches to DUNE Movie

Posted: 25 Jun 2011 06:28
by inhuien
SandChigger wrote:Oh dear...
These guys do live demonstrations and have put out DVDs on how to twist your penis into fun shapes (like the hamburger ...
You want relish with that? :puke:

Re: Different Approaches to DUNE Movie

Posted: 25 Jun 2011 07:35
by Serkanner
inhuien wrote:
SandChigger wrote:Oh dear...
These guys do live demonstrations and have put out DVDs on how to twist your penis into fun shapes (like the hamburger ...
You want relish with that? :puke:
It reminds me of this:


Re: Different Approaches to DUNE Movie

Posted: 04 Sep 2011 07:55
by Setzer
I had the idea of splitting the first Dune book into two parts. The first part deals with the departure from Caladan. The plot proceeds normally with Paul. Be sure to establish how concerned his mother was, and how overjoyed she was Paul survived the Gom Jabbar. However, there is still the fact that she subjected her son to something that might have killed him in the first place. She and Mohaim have their argument about her refusing to bear a daughter. She and the other Bene Gesserit are clearly up to something, but what?

After the scene with the Gom Jabbar (be sure to keep Mohaim's little line about aumas, musky, and other poisons), we see his life as the Duke's son, and show how he gets along with his house's officials like Yueh, Duncan, and Gurney. We start with a lesson being taught by Yueh, to bring us up to speed about the Imperium and deliver exposition for people who've never read the book. Include a bit about the Battle of Corrin, the Sardaukar, the Corrino Emperors, mention how even the current Emperor's father was killed by treachery. This sets us up for the sword lesson with Gurney, for a nice action scene in the first act. We see them laughing, joking, then the fight begins. The earlier emphasis on poisons, intrigue, and treachery will hopefully add some tension to this scene, "surely not Gurney" as Paul wonders if Gurney has in fact betrayed him and is trying to kill him. After the fight ends, it's plain Gurney isn't a traitor, but the possibility is out there...

Next scene is Giedi Prime, home of the Harkonnens. We should keep Lynch's portrayal of the planet as a dark industrial hellhole, to compare to the lush paradise of Caladan. We meet the Baron, Piter, and Feyd Rautha, and he lays out the plan more or less the way they did in the book. Establish how they do have a traitor in the Atreides ranks, but keep it secret who it is. The Baron won't tell Feyd that, but he will tell him the Sardaukar are going to be helping them. Thematically, this sets Feyd up as a counterpart to Paul, since they're both the heirs to their respective houses, and confidants of each house head. Ideally, the Gom Jabbar scene and the Bene Gesserit agenda would help cast some suspicion on Jessica.

Next is a quick establishing exchange as Duncan finds Paul and brings him to the Duke. Duncan didn't specifically have to do this, but he wanted to, as this was his last chance to see Paul before he departs for Arrakis. Finally, we meet Leto. Anyone who has ever had to talk to their kids before moving to a new home should know what Leto is going through. But instead of spinning a yarn about how wonderful life on Arrakis is going to be and all the new friends Paul is certain to make, Leto sugarcoats nothing. He makes it very plain how dangerous this is, what the consequences of failure are, but also how they intend to pull through and turn this trap on their enemies. This is where we learn of the Mahdi legend on Arrakis. Jessica tells us the BG routinely make up myths so their people can make use of them, and how Paul can do the same if the situation gets desperate enough.

This is the start of a movie exclusive B plot. Duncan Idaho journeys to Arrakis, and wins the respect of the Fremen. Call it Frank Herbert's Avatar if you like, but I think the Fremen are a lot more interesting then blue cat people. This is where we introduce Stilgar and Chani. Chani helps teach Duncan about life on Arrakis, but is NOT intended as a love interest. I just thought it was a good way to establish her character, and there are far too many male leads and female friendswhobecomeloveinterests already. As Stilgar put it "I should like that respect for each other which grows in the breast without demand for the huddlings of sex." This also gives Chani more of an identity before her relationship with Paul. We should have seen her already in Paul's prescient visions, but these are visions which Duncan would be unaware.

The B plot will end shortly after the Atreides arrive on Arrakis. Paul has his brush with the Hunter Seeker. The Atreides guards find a dead man at the controls, but Thufir says that he was just a pawn. They searched the house thoroughly, but found nothing, which means someone smuggled the HS in after the fact... Duncan introduces Stilgar to Leto, and then we have the tour of spice mining. Add a scene after that between Kynes and Stilgar, where they talk about the prophecy and if Paul qualifies. Leto has succeeded in gaining the respect of both Kynes and Stilgar, which is shown at the dinner scene. So far, it seems that Leto's plan is going to work, and he'll have his own forces supplemented by Fremen troops.

Hour three of the movie begins with the Harkonnen attack. The force they're throwing at Arrakis is far larger then anything they'd predicted, and people new to the series will find themselves wondering how the Atreides are going to pull themselves out of this one. Leto sabotages the house shields, drugs the Duke, and explains why he's doing this. Paul and Jessica are both in Harkonnen clutches before they escape, and find Yueh's confession in the Thopter he prepared. The Atreides forces make a decent showing under Duncan's command, and it seems to be a conventional Big Climactic Battle, but it's made plain just how hopeless the situation is against Sardaukar and the Atreides troops are scattered. Stilgar's troop finds finds Paul and Jessica, and helps get them to Duncan and Kynes. The sietch is attacked by Sardaukar, and Duncan is killed in the fighting. Paul, Jessica, Stilgar, and Chani escape to the Fremen, and the movie draws to a close with Paul vowing revenge on the Harkonnens and the Emperor.

Re: Different Approaches to DUNE Movie

Posted: 14 Sep 2011 16:22
by Aurelius Boro-Ginjo
HBO should just make the movie into a serie like they did with the A Song of Ice and Fire and made television adaptation Game of Thrones.
each book one season with 13 episodes or something

Re: Different Approaches to DUNE Movie

Posted: 14 Sep 2011 16:23
by A Thing of Eternity
That would definitely be a better format than a movie for something as complex as Dune.

Re: Different Approaches to DUNE Movie

Posted: 14 Sep 2011 17:46
by JustSomeGuy
The thing is, Zombie and Hack would be involved. The project would be tainted. Right?

Re: Different Approaches to DUNE Movie

Posted: 14 Sep 2011 17:59
by A Thing of Eternity
JustSomeGuy wrote:The thing is, Zombie and Hack would be involved. The project would be tainted. Right?
It would be tainted in that I'd be very sad to see them getting any money or any press. But the likelihood that they'd actually have any influence is near zero, anyone working on such a project would recognise that they're idiots.