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Another 'Dune' on the way?

The director of 'The Kingdom' has signed on to remake 'difficult' sci-fi opus 'Dune'

Twenty years after its initial cinematic incarnation, famously rendered by David Lynch, a new adaptation of Frank Herbert’s best-selling sci-fi masterpiece ‘Dune’ is in the offing.

After months of rumours, ‘The Kingdom’ director Peter Berg has finally confirmed that he will be taking the reins and has described the project as ‘big big big.’

No parts have yet been cast and, due to the current Hollywood screenwriters’ strike, no script has been penned either, but at least Berg assures us that his own contract is a ‘done deal’ and that ‘if it weren’t for the writers’ strike, we’d be in it right now.’

Longtime ‘Dune’ devotees will be relieved to hear that Berg, as ‘a huge fan of the book’, is unlikely to tamper with Herbert’s original storyline as much as Lynch’s controversial 1984 effort.

Whilst Berg, who is currently in post-production with the Will Smith action flick ‘Hancock’, may be a self-confessed Lynch fan, he believes that the debate surrounding the latter’s cult interpretation ‘has left the door wide open for a remake’.

Here at Time Out, we still think that someone should give Alejandro Jodorowsky a crack, as he was famously snubbed in the '80s for being too 'out there'.

Author: Patrick Kingsley

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Farradn said...

They're not fitting it all into one film this time, but splitting it into 3 films which is what the novel did. The Dune novel was split into 3 books. The TV series did the same thing which was probably the only smart move they made. How could anyone say the Lynch version was "Perfectly acceptable"? It was great with the volume turned right down, but once you heard them mention weapons involving sound it was time to turn that piece of crap OFF Posted on Sep 28 2008 04:29

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AL-K, Glasgow said...

I think this is just another way to "mug" the viewing public, anyone who has ever read the book will know its almost impossible to stay true to the book while fitting it into one film, while the 1984 effort may have been seen as "controversial" it did mirror most of the book quite well and I think it was a perfectly acceptable adaption of a very complicated and large book. Come on people, lets demand better than remakes of films and get back to original idea's from scriptwriters, that's what they are supposedly being paid for. Posted on Jul 05 2008 18:22

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Jason E. Carnegie said...

This is fantastic however, I enjoyed the Dune mini series by John Harrison a great deal back in 2000, including the follow up Children of Dune (2003) which covered both the sencond and third book in the series. Moreover the follow up intorduced audiences internationally to a steller cast including; Alec Newman and James McAvoy. If Berg's version has any hope of making it into a successful franchise he needs real heavy wights in order to get Herbert's masterful duplicitous characters right. Lynch's take had excellent metaphours and Harrison's well pollished performances. Now lets hope we all get a taste of spice! Posted on Jan 10 2008 14:55

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