Villeneuve's Dune

Guerrilla

So, first trailer is out:


Think Villeneuve can pull it off, or is Dune impossible to adapt to big screen?

markmassey

I've been waiting for this trailer to drop for months.... Have to say i wasn't disappointed.. now i'm normally the guy who's like well that looks $%^& (not purposefully) i just am these days..

This looks as epic as i was hoping for, cast looks great, visuals look amazing and tonally it hits the mark for me.... My only worry is that its going to be another Bladerunner....

Guerrilla

I actually really enjoyed Blade Runner 2049, but I'm something of a Villeneuve fan in general.

markmassey

oh no don't get me wrong i loved Blade runner 2049..... and lets be honest he makes awesome films.... i'm sure he'll do as good a job with Dune... i just mean, my fear is that Nobody will go and see it... and we get no more Dune movies... again that's my fear... hopefully i'm wrong...

Guerrilla

Oh yeah, that's a very real possibility, especially in the current circumstances. I hope it does well enough for studios so he can continue doing what he does.

evil_genius_180

It certainly looks the part. It's got a fantastic cast too. I think they can do it justice this time around. I looked it up and it's supposed to be two movies, this is only part one. That's really good news to me, because Dune is a thick and epic novel. Cutting it too short is something they don't want to do. So, personally, I'm pretty optimistic for this one.

markmassey

yea its just a shame that studios don't look at something and think, well it didn't make its money back but that was a beautiful piece of cinema... lets do a sequel, we're all artists here!!!

evil_genius_180

The other thing that's a shame is that there won't be a second film if this one doesn't make money. The studio isn't willing to fork over enough money to make both parts back to back, so this one has to perform or it will end with this film. That's actually problematic, given that much of the audience won't have read the epic novel and may not be anticipating a sequel as much as those of us who have will be.

markmassey

i have to say when the shields flashed in the trailer i was like "oh thank god" haha because try as i like whenever i'v read Dune i just get the visuals from the david lynch film out of my head....

Cant wait to see who drops the first thopter thread

psCargile

Had to re-read my tattered hardcopy this year in anticipation, and recognizing scenes in the trailers, I think this is the faithful Dune we've been waiting for. No glowing eyes, check. Actual ornirhopters, check. Love that. And what a phenomenal cast.

markmassey

as someone who knows an unusual amount of Pauls... whenever i meet a new one i always cry out paul muad'dib... only 1 has got it so far.... my time is coming...

lennier1

Love how the trailer pays tribute to the designs from the Lynch movie, but still does its own thing.

japetus

Super stoked! Glad I read the book again this year, so i could enjoy the trailer. Have loved all of Villenueves movies too especially bladerunner

Wishbone_Ash

This looks like the adaptation I've been waiting my whole life for. Sadly nobody is going to watch this movie, and I hope we don't end up being stuck with only half of the definitive adaptation of Dune.... I Hope they've been shooting them contiguously.

But as a movie this will be magnificent. The only thing they'll never be able to improve on is the musical score from the Lynch film.

sorceress21

I'm not certain even two films will have adequate screen time to tell this story the way Herbert presented it. I've always felt the story should be told via a TV series or at least 5 films. We'll get what, just under 5 hours between two films (noting the 2nd film hasn't even been green lit yet). I don't even think 10 hours of screen time can adequately tell the story as in depth as it needs to be told.

That being said, this adaptation certainly looks like it will definitively be the best one thus far and I am looking forward to it.

In today's "climate" I doubt this film will do well enough to get the 2nd film made. Frankly, the only way that'll happen is if they release straight to pay-per-view and bypass the complete dependence on a movie theater. Especially being that the planned release date may still find many audiences unable to see the film as theaters in their areas may still be closed due to Covid.

Wishbone_Ash

I really think they should have postponed the release by a year and then showed them as a double feature.

But I think two movies is plenty of run time to tell the story of the first book more or less entirely. It isn't that complex a story. The most complex parts of the story all take place in characters own inner thoughts anyway and you can't depict that in a movie.

But the basic plot is really pretty straightforward and 4 - 5 hours of movie is more than enough to cover it while leaving time for decent character and world building.

sorceress21

Wishbone_Ash wrote: »

I really think they should have postponed the release by a year and then showed them as a double feature.

But I think two movies is plenty of run time to tell the story of the first book more or less entirely. It isn't that complex a story. The most complex parts of the story all take place in characters own inner thoughts anyway and you can't depict that in a movie.

But the basic plot is really pretty straightforward and 4 - 5 hours of movie is more than enough to cover it while leaving time for decent character and world building.

Yeahhhhhhhhh, I'm gonna go ahead a disagree with ya there Bob!

Guerrilla

Collider says Dune moved to late 2021. New date October 1st 2021, apparently. Not a production issue, WB is just moving a bunch of things around until people can hopefully see movies in theaters again... If there are any movie theaters still left next year...

Not surprised it got moved, but almost a full year was a bit longer than I thought it would be.

markmassey

October seems like a better date for it.. Dune isn't what I'd consider a Christmas movie??

when we're in the same situation this time next year do we think it will get moved back another year? if there are any cinemas left by then...

Guerrilla

BolianAdmiral

I’m looking forward to this. I really enjoyed both Arrival and Blade Runner 2049, so I’m hoping this will be done well.

markmassey

Reviews or reactions to Dune (although I haven't listened to them fully) sound positive.... I'm feeling more comfortable with getting excited to see it now haha.. it's sounding like the movie I was hoping it was going to be..

BolianAdmiral

Meh… I REALLY, REALLY wanted to like Dune a lot more than I did. I really tried hard to enjoy it. The spaceship designs were cool, but other than that, the film was underwhelming. It was incredibly slow-paced, visually dark and muted, and the dialogue was all in that stupid gravelly whisper that’s for some reason in trend with modern movies. I really wanted to like this a lot more than I did.

Guerrilla

I for one loved it. They went and filmed the unfilmable and did an excellent job, which is a pretty serious feat of movie making. Splitting it into two was the right decision (they recently confirmed part two is in production). I'm usually against squeezing more movies out of source material or forcing everything into a trilogy (or a cinematic universe these days, I guess), but I feel the split made this a much stronger movie. The world building was exquisite, casting spot on and every frame looked amazing, even if the desert was slightly different tone of color than I've imagined over the years.

Freak

I really Love this film, While I have not read the books, I did enjoy the 84 film, even if it been over 20 years since I last watched it.

I did not find the story too slow, it moved at the right paces and I was drawn in. I did not notice that 2 1/2 hours had past. I loved the visuals and I have to say that Villeneuve's had taken Riddley Scott crown when it come to this. It just stunning.

It good to see a turely great film come out, we had some much brain dead movies in recent yeas, this was acutally refeshing. Don't get me wrong I enjoy a good action film, but I would like to see Hollywood making more movies of this cailber.

My only complate on this film is where part 1 ended. While it reminds me of the way Star Wars: The Empire Stricks Back ends. Dune ending was a bit limp after all that build up. (I understand from a good source that read one of the darft before the filming script it had a better place where the film stopped.)

All I can say is bring on Part 2 & 3.

@Guerrilla, they may make this a franchise as WB have plans for a prequel based around the Bene Gesserit, which will be for HBOMAX.

Guerrilla

Freak wrote: »

My only complate on this film is where part 1 ended. While it reminds me of the way Star Wars: The Empire Stricks Back ends. Dune ending was a bit limp after all that build up. (I understand from a good source that read one of the darft before the filming script it had a better place where the film stopped.)

Having read the book a couple of times, I reckon that was a pretty good spot to end it, but I see where you're coming from.

@Guerrilla, they may make this a franchise as WB have plans for a prequel based around the Bene Gesserit, which will be for HBOMAX.

Well, there's your cinematic universe then. Dune is probably an excellent candidate for one, but turning everything into a franchise is kinda annoying. Luckily, Villeneuve went all in on the one movie and nailed it instead of getting carried away with visions of MCU like box office numbers.

That's the thing about franchises and cinematic universes. You have to nail the opener.

BolianAdmiral

It wasn’t a bad movie… I just expected it to be better. This guild ship and the ornithopters were pretty much the things I liked best in it. It was really disappointing that they didn’t even show the Navigator.

Guerrilla

Don't think Guild Navigators made an appearance in the first novel.

Starship

I liked the movie.
I´m waiting for the parts 2 and 3.

markmassey

finally got to the cinema this weekend, glad I stayed away from the reviews and went in blind...

didn't we see a whole crew of guild navigators walking down the ramp with the opaque helmets?? that's what I thought they were.. Loved how the highliner looked like a sandworm..

took a couple of days to digest what I'd seen but personally I haven't been that blown away in the cinema since watching Jurassic park as a kid.. felt completely transported and immersed. The only thing I didn't like was how they depicted the voice... I wasn't sure about the old hag sound they kept using.. when Paul used it on Jessica in the tent when he was angry and it was just his voice reverbed I think that worked better... but other than that I have no nitpicks at the minute, that might change with other viewings... loved how long and drawn out it was.. when Paul was fighting Jamis I thought to myself.. man this is a looong film.. but I didn't want it to end haha I came out of the cinema numb.. but thoroughly satisfied with this adaptation...

I'd listened to the soundtrack on YouTube a few weeks back and was completely confused by it.. but while I'll probably not sit and blast it out in the car it was the perfect soundscape for the movie..

cant wait to see it again..

Guerrilla

markmassey wrote: »

didn't we see a whole crew of guild navigators walking down the ramp with the opaque helmets?? that's what I thought they were..

I don't think those were navigators. Hawat commented on the cost of needing 3 navigators to get to Caladan and there were way more than three.