Legendary buys film and tv rights to Dune [movie] Dune 2021

[em2nought]

So, without giving anything away, better than Dune from 1984, worse, or just different?

[pr0ner]

So much better.

[Daveman]

Saw it Saturday and really enjoyed it. Detailed thoughts below...

Spoiler:

I generally liked the changes (shifts in focus might be a better term?) made to the story. Making Jessica sort of Lady Macbeth was the most jarring change to me but I like what they did. Her conversations with Alia were a nice touch.

I wanted more scenes with the Emperor or the Imperial court, especially the Spacing Guild. I wished they would have shown a little more of the Harkonnens and everyone else wondering where this Muad'dib came from and then shocked to learn it's Paul. Instead I think all we really got of that was Irulan making what I thought was quite a leap of logic and simply stating that he's likely Paul.

There are really only two things I didn't like that stuck out to me.

1. At the start of the film we know Jessica is recently pregnant, maybe a month or two in? By the end of the film she still hasn't given birth, unlike the book. That means everything in the film happened in ~7 months? Maybe I was just expecting to see Alia born? I know all that really matters is that time passes and Paul becomes Fremen but it felt rushed in that light. It also makes the change in Gurney stand out in that short a time to me.

2. So at the very end, Paul has deposed the Emperor and told the Landsraad he's in charge now. They reply "lol no". We then get a montage of the Fremen *at that very moment* doing their best Leeroy Jenkins impression and piling into transports and off into space?

Isn't there an armada over the planet? Shouldn't there be some naval battle which I assume the Fremen have little or no experience with? Don't they need to have some sort of plan before invading the rest of the galaxy? Arrange transport with the Spacing Guild, etc.?

Paul coldly replying to the Landsraad that they've chosen poorly and stating that the crusade will now begin, with the Fremen cheering on is all they needed to do.

[Zaxxon]

This is genius.

[Holman]

So, without giving anything away, better than Dune from 1984, worse, or just different?

Much much better.

Lynch's Dune has all kinds of quirky charms, and its weirdness is part of the appeal. Villeneuve's Dune is brilliantly imagined and crafted to the point of being Oscar-bait.

I have a hard time believing that anyone who saw Lynch's movie *after* V's would see any improvements in it.

[hitbyambulance]

we have seen there are a number of ways to interpret the first book - i think they can be sorta complementary, bringing different facets to light (Jowdorowsky’s sketches, the Lynch/DiLaurentiis one, whomever did the Sci-Fi miniseries and Villanueve’s version)

[Archinerd]

Saw it Saturday and really enjoyed it. Detailed thoughts below...

Spoiler:

I generally liked the changes (shifts in focus might be a better term?) made to the story. Making Jessica sort of Lady Macbeth was the most jarring change to me but I like what they did. Her conversations with Alia were a nice touch.

I wanted more scenes with the Emperor or the Imperial court, especially the Spacing Guild. I wished they would have shown a little more of the Harkonnens and everyone else wondering where this Muad'dib came from and then shocked to learn it's Paul. Instead I think all we really got of that was Irulan making what I thought was quite a leap of logic and simply stating that he's likely Paul.

There are really only two things I didn't like that stuck out to me.

1. At the start of the film we know Jessica is recently pregnant, maybe a month or two in? By the end of the film she still hasn't given birth, unlike the book. That means everything in the film happened in ~7 months? Maybe I was just expecting to see Alia born? I know all that really matters is that time passes and Paul becomes Fremen but it felt rushed in that light. It also makes the change in Gurney stand out in that short a time to me.

2. So at the very end, Paul has deposed the Emperor and told the Landsraad he's in charge now. They reply "lol no". We then get a montage of the Fremen *at that very moment* doing their best Leeroy Jenkins impression and piling into transports and off into space?

Isn't there an armada over the planet? Shouldn't there be some naval battle which I assume the Fremen have little or no experience with? Don't they need to have some sort of plan before invading the rest of the galaxy? Arrange transport with the Spacing Guild, etc.?

All good points.

Spoiler:

I wanted more scenes with the Emperor or the Imperial court, especially the Spacing Guild. I wished they would have shown a little more of the Harkonnens and everyone else wondering where this Muad'dib came from and then shocked to learn it's Paul. Instead I think all we really got of that was Irulan making what I thought was quite a leap of logic and simply stating that he's likely Paul.

For nearly 6 hours of movie, it still somehow feels rushed in places. I'd be all for an extended cut someday.

1. The compressed timeline is a double edged sword. I would be very surprised if there were not several very long conversations weighing the merits of both options. I think they made the right choice though, adding the complexity of an Alia character walking around in the world is probably best left for the next film.

2. Remember, Paul can destroy the Spice with a single order. They are at his mercy.

[Zarathud]

They did not hammer home — He who controls the Spice, controls the Universe.

[Jaymann]

So, without giving anything away, better than Dune from 1984, worse, or just different?

I was led to believe there would be Sting. Effing ripoff.

[AWS260]

Rebecca Ferguson's recent appearance on Colbert to promote the movie is so good. She is an absolute chaos goblin.

[Holman]

It helps that Colbert is such a consummate SF nerd.

[em2nought]

So, without giving anything away, better than Dune from 1984, worse, or just different?

I was led to believe there would be Sting. Effing ripoff.

Next thing you'll be telling me there's no "Sean Young" damnit.

[Hrdina]

It helps that Colbert is such a consummate SF nerd.

I think Colbert's improv instincts kicked in, and he just followed her lead through that entire interview.

I should have known that with a name like "Ferguson" she was Swedish.

[hepcat]

I’m fascinated by the fact that Alexander Skarsgård speaks English with an American accent, while Rebecca Ferguson uses an English accent. Is it because they learned English in the country whose accent they use? Is it an affectation? And I wonder why Alexander’s father Stellan still has a Swedish accent? He’s been acting in American films for much longer than either.

[raydude]

Just wanted to point out that NASA uses the SPICE to navigate to other planets.

[Lagom Lite]

I’m fascinated by the fact that Alexander Skarsgård speaks English with an American accent, while Rebecca Ferguson uses an English accent. Is it because they learned English in the country whose accent they use? Is it an affectation? And I wonder why Alexander’s father Stellan still has a Swedish accent? He’s been acting in American films for much longer than either.

Stellan is older. The older generation is often less fluent in English (proficient, but with an accent) or just don't bother trying to emulate foreign accents. He only moved to America in his thirties. Also, he's been bringing his kids to wherever he went in the world, including to America. But frankly, I think he just doesn't give a damn.

Rebecca's father is a Brit (maybe Irish, can't remember). It's not otherwise common for Swedes to put on the kind of accent she does.

If you heard me speak, you'd probably think I was rural Minnesotan. I could probably fake a general Yankee, Texan or southwestern Devon-British accent, but I don't care to. I'd rather speak with the cadence and rhythm that I'm used to - hence, Minnesotan-American.

On-topic, I'm seeing Dune 2 tomorrow on IMAX with the wife and a few friends. Looking forward to it!

"May THY knife chip and shatter."

[Lagom Lite]

Just wanted to point out that NASA uses the SPICE to navigate to other planets.

That is so boss. I love NASA, they're such nerds.

[Lagom Lite]

It helps that Colbert is such a consummate SF nerd.

I think Colbert's improv instincts kicked in, and he just followed her lead through that entire interview.

I should have known that with a name like "Ferguson" she was Swedish.

Ferguson isn't a common Swedish name though. I think it's her father's name (who is British or Irish).

[gilraen]

It helps that Colbert is such a consummate SF nerd.

I think Colbert's improv instincts kicked in, and he just followed her lead through that entire interview.

I should have known that with a name like "Ferguson" she was Swedish.

Ferguson isn't a common Swedish name though. I think it's her father's name (who is British or Irish).

I think it's the other way around, that's her mother's name, and it's her father who's Swedish.

[Lagom Lite]

It helps that Colbert is such a consummate SF nerd.

I think Colbert's improv instincts kicked in, and he just followed her lead through that entire interview.

I should have known that with a name like "Ferguson" she was Swedish.

Ferguson isn't a common Swedish name though. I think it's her father's name (who is British or Irish).

I think it's the other way around, that's her mother's name, and it's her father who's Swedish.

Right you are, then.

Edit: Did a google, turns out she's a distant relative of Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York. Huh.

[Holman]

It only just now dawned on me that Javier Bardem (Stilgar) was the baddie in NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN.

And Josh Brolin was in it too.

And of course Gurney-Rabban is a Thanos-Drax reunion.

[hepcat]

Stellan is older. The older generation is often less fluent in English (proficient, but with an accent) or just don't bother trying to emulate foreign accents. He only moved to America in his thirties. Also, he's been bringing his kids to wherever he went in the world, including to America. But frankly, I think he just doesn't give a damn.

Stellan is one of my favorite actors and thus has earned the right to do whatever he pleases when it comes to his accent.

Different topic: I read that the insanely talented Tim Blake Nelson was cut from Dune 2. How can you remove the great Tim Blake Nelson from anything!?!?!

[Holman]

The voice (kind of like The Voice) can be an actor's most important tool. I assume their accent in various contexts is a choice.

And of course lots of regular people do the same: "code-switching," formality vs informality, etc.

[hepcat]

By the way, I'd kill to see Mads Mikkelsen in the third movie. Another great actor who just doesn't give a shit about having an accent even though he speaks perfect English.

[Holman]

I'm genuinely sad to hear Villeneuve announce that he doesn't do Director's Cuts or release deleted scenes.

Especially because there is apparently photo evidence that Stephen McKinley Henderson (Thufir Hawat) had a trailer on the set of Dune 2 for part of the filming period.

[Carpet_pissr]

Saw it with the entire fam last night at an indie theater that was recently renovated. Was literally speechless after it ended…just processing (while my family made fun of me )

Best movie I’ve ever seen. Or at least it’s my favorite. I may have seen technically better movies, but this one hit me in all my right places.

Had similar reactions after watching Bladerunner 2049 and Arrival as well, but not like this (but saw neither of those in the theater, so…?) Also, I absolutely loved the books, so I think that amped up my experience.

Wow. Just wow. I can’t wait to see it again on my home system.

Literally 10/10 for me.

Also, I might now be in love with Denis Villenueve.

[Lagom Lite]

I saw it this weekend. A very, very good blockbuster kind of movie. Now the wait for Dune 3: Messiah begins (although that might become a disappointment to non-book fans, knowing the story there).

[Carpet_pissr]

I saw it this weekend. A very, very good blockbuster kind of movie. Now the wait for Dune 3: Messiah begins (although that might become a disappointment to non-book fans, knowing the story there).

That’s exactly what I warned my family about last night (none have read the books). “You’re probably going to hate the next movie”.

But IIRC ‘the turn’ pissed off a lot of the previous book readers as well (not me, I loved it).

[hitbyambulance]

But IIRC ‘the turn’ pissed off a lot of the previous book readers as well (not me, I loved it).

Herbert actually wrote Dune Messiah because so many people were misinterpreting the first book. "Let me spell it out for you..."

[Lagom Lite]

I saw it this weekend. A very, very good blockbuster kind of movie. Now the wait for Dune 3: Messiah begins (although that might become a disappointment to non-book fans, knowing the story there).

That’s exactly what I warned my family about last night (none have read the books). “You’re probably going to hate the next movie”.

But IIRC ‘the turn’ pissed off a lot of the previous book readers as well (not me, I loved it).

Denis has said for a while that he thinks Messiah could make a good movie, and apparently he's already working on the script. A movie adaptation of Messiah could be decent in my opinion, if Denis does some of the following:

Spoiler:

- Cut a LOT of the weird stuff (Distrans dwarf, contraceptives subplot, Face dancer, Tleilaxu, Third stage guild navigator). While it tears my heart out, I think all those things are just gonna make the film silly.
- Cut a couple of factions from the assassination plot (cut Tleilaxu and Spacing Guild) and makes it wholly Bene Gesserit-driven (= a single well-known, well-defined villain faction, rather than the all-out mess of factions co-conspiring, which is just gonna be confusing to audiences).
- Cut the Bene Tleilax and make the Duncan ghola a Bene Gesserit "gift" (an attempt by them to regain control over Paul).
- I haven't read it but there's a new character in the book "Paul of Dune": Marie Fenring, the child of Margot Fenring and Feyd, who tries to assassinate Paul but is stopped by Alia. This would be a great way to give Alia more to do.
- Make Chani a friend of Korba. While Chani opposes Paul's rule, Chani doesn't want Paul dead, so she decides to cut ties with Korba and travel to Arakeen to warn Paul even though they haven't spoken for more than a decade. While in Arrakeen, Chani witnesses all the horrible splendor of Paul's palace. They meet and fall in love again, and share a night of passion.
- Make the story a kind of redemption-attempt for Paul. Atrocities have been committed, now Paul wants to stop the holy war, combat the corruption and make peace with Chani. Which he does, even though it's too late to stop the stone burner attack that takes his eyes.
- End of the film: Chani does not die but discovers she's pregnant (changed from the book - because time-jumps and birth scenes are poison to film adaptations), Paul instead abdicates and leaves for the deep desert, leaving Chani with Alia and Duncan in charge to right all wrongs.

So basically, the film would be a political thriller with threats and intrigues coming from all around, while Paul tries to stop the wars and regain Chani's trust, with the help of Stilgar, Gurney and Alia (and Duncan, and Chani, once she's come around).

But even so, it's not going to be a war movie with cool sandworm and sword battles. So general audiences expecting an epic Star Wars-like story conclusion are going to find it disappointing, regardless.

[Jaymann]

I saw it this weekend. A very, very good blockbuster kind of movie. Now the wait for Dune 3: Messiah begins (although that might become a disappointment to non-book fans, knowing the story there).

That’s exactly what I warned my family about last night (none have read the books). “You’re probably going to hate the next movie”.

But IIRC ‘the turn’ pissed off a lot of the previous book readers as well (not me, I loved it).

Denis has said for a while that he thinks Messiah could make a good movie, and apparently he's already working on the script. A movie adaptation of Messiah could be decent in my opinion, if Denis does some of the following:

Spoiler:

- Cut a LOT of the weird stuff (Distrans dwarf, contraceptives subplot, Face dancer, Tleilaxu, Third stage guild navigator). While it tears my heart out, I think all those things are just gonna make the film silly.
- Cut a couple of factions from the assassination plot (cut Tleilaxu and Spacing Guild) and makes it wholly Bene Gesserit-driven (= a single well-known, well-defined villain faction, rather than the all-out mess of factions co-conspiring, which is just gonna be confusing to audiences).
- Cut the Bene Tleilax and make the Duncan ghola a Bene Gesserit "gift" (an attempt by them to regain control over Paul).
- I haven't read it but there's a new character in the book "Paul of Dune": Marie Fenring, the child of Margot Fenring and Feyd, who tries to assassinate Paul but is stopped by Alia. This would be a great way to give Alia more to do.
- Make Chani a friend of Korba. While Chani opposes Paul's rule, Chani doesn't want Paul dead, so she decides to cut ties with Korba and travel to Arakeen to warn Paul even though they haven't spoken for more than a decade. While in Arrakeen, Chani witnesses all the horrible splendor of Paul's palace. They meet and fall in love again, and share a night of passion.
- Make the story a kind of redemption-attempt for Paul. Atrocities have been committed, now Paul wants to stop the holy war, combat the corruption and make peace with Chani. Which he does, even though it's too late to stop the stone burner attack that takes his eyes.
- End of the film: Chani does not die but discovers she's pregnant (changed from the book - because time-jumps and birth scenes are poison to film adaptations), Paul instead abdicates and leaves for the deep desert, leaving Chani with Alia and Duncan in charge to right all wrongs.

So basically, the film would be a political thriller with threats and intrigues coming from all around, while Paul tries to stop the wars and regain Chani's trust, with the help of Stilgar, Gurney and Alia (and Duncan, and Chani, once she's come around).

But even so, it's not going to be a war movie with cool sandworm and sword battles. So general audiences expecting an epic Star Wars-like story conclusion are going to find it disappointing, regardless.

Plus nail down a commitment from Sting.

[hitbyambulance]

But IIRC ‘the turn’ pissed off a lot of the previous book readers as well (not me, I loved it).

Herbert actually wrote Dune Messiah because so many people were misinterpreting the first book. "Let me spell it out for you..."

[Holman]

I saw it this weekend. A very, very good blockbuster kind of movie. Now the wait for Dune 3: Messiah begins (although that might become a disappointment to non-book fans, knowing the story there).

That’s exactly what I warned my family about last night (none have read the books). “You’re probably going to hate the next movie”.

But IIRC ‘the turn’ pissed off a lot of the previous book readers as well (not me, I loved it).

Denis has said for a while that he thinks Messiah could make a good movie, and apparently he's already working on the script. A movie adaptation of Messiah could be decent in my opinion, if Denis does some of the following:

Spoiler:

- Cut a LOT of the weird stuff (Distrans dwarf, contraceptives subplot, Face dancer, Tleilaxu, Third stage guild navigator). While it tears my heart out, I think all those things are just gonna make the film silly.
- Cut a couple of factions from the assassination plot (cut Tleilaxu and Spacing Guild) and makes it wholly Bene Gesserit-driven (= a single well-known, well-defined villain faction, rather than the all-out mess of factions co-conspiring, which is just gonna be confusing to audiences).
- Cut the Bene Tleilax and make the Duncan ghola a Bene Gesserit "gift" (an attempt by them to regain control over Paul).
- I haven't read it but there's a new character in the book "Paul of Dune": Marie Fenring, the child of Margot Fenring and Feyd, who tries to assassinate Paul but is stopped by Alia. This would be a great way to give Alia more to do.
- Make Chani a friend of Korba. While Chani opposes Paul's rule, Chani doesn't want Paul dead, so she decides to cut ties with Korba and travel to Arakeen to warn Paul even though they haven't spoken for more than a decade. While in Arrakeen, Chani witnesses all the horrible splendor of Paul's palace. They meet and fall in love again, and share a night of passion.
- Make the story a kind of redemption-attempt for Paul. Atrocities have been committed, now Paul wants to stop the holy war, combat the corruption and make peace with Chani. Which he does, even though it's too late to stop the stone burner attack that takes his eyes.
- End of the film: Chani does not die but discovers she's pregnant (changed from the book - because time-jumps and birth scenes are poison to film adaptations), Paul instead abdicates and leaves for the deep desert, leaving Chani with Alia and Duncan in charge to right all wrongs.

So basically, the film would be a political thriller with threats and intrigues coming from all around, while Paul tries to stop the wars and regain Chani's trust, with the help of Stilgar, Gurney and Alia (and Duncan, and Chani, once she's come around).

But even so, it's not going to be a war movie with cool sandworm and sword battles. So general audiences expecting an epic Star Wars-like story conclusion are going to find it disappointing, regardless.

Interesting ideas, but it wouldn't be DUNE MESSIAH at all.

[Lagom Lite]

I saw it this weekend. A very, very good blockbuster kind of movie. Now the wait for Dune 3: Messiah begins (although that might become a disappointment to non-book fans, knowing the story there).

That’s exactly what I warned my family about last night (none have read the books). “You’re probably going to hate the next movie”.

But IIRC ‘the turn’ pissed off a lot of the previous book readers as well (not me, I loved it).

Denis has said for a while that he thinks Messiah could make a good movie, and apparently he's already working on the script. A movie adaptation of Messiah could be decent in my opinion, if Denis does some of the following:

Spoiler:

- Cut a LOT of the weird stuff (Distrans dwarf, contraceptives subplot, Face dancer, Tleilaxu, Third stage guild navigator). While it tears my heart out, I think all those things are just gonna make the film silly.
- Cut a couple of factions from the assassination plot (cut Tleilaxu and Spacing Guild) and makes it wholly Bene Gesserit-driven (= a single well-known, well-defined villain faction, rather than the all-out mess of factions co-conspiring, which is just gonna be confusing to audiences).
- Cut the Bene Tleilax and make the Duncan ghola a Bene Gesserit "gift" (an attempt by them to regain control over Paul).
- I haven't read it but there's a new character in the book "Paul of Dune": Marie Fenring, the child of Margot Fenring and Feyd, who tries to assassinate Paul but is stopped by Alia. This would be a great way to give Alia more to do.
- Make Chani a friend of Korba. While Chani opposes Paul's rule, Chani doesn't want Paul dead, so she decides to cut ties with Korba and travel to Arakeen to warn Paul even though they haven't spoken for more than a decade. While in Arrakeen, Chani witnesses all the horrible splendor of Paul's palace. They meet and fall in love again, and share a night of passion.
- Make the story a kind of redemption-attempt for Paul. Atrocities have been committed, now Paul wants to stop the holy war, combat the corruption and make peace with Chani. Which he does, even though it's too late to stop the stone burner attack that takes his eyes.
- End of the film: Chani does not die but discovers she's pregnant (changed from the book - because time-jumps and birth scenes are poison to film adaptations), Paul instead abdicates and leaves for the deep desert, leaving Chani with Alia and Duncan in charge to right all wrongs.

So basically, the film would be a political thriller with threats and intrigues coming from all around, while Paul tries to stop the wars and regain Chani's trust, with the help of Stilgar, Gurney and Alia (and Duncan, and Chani, once she's come around).

But even so, it's not going to be a war movie with cool sandworm and sword battles. So general audiences expecting an epic Star Wars-like story conclusion are going to find it disappointing, regardless.

Interesting ideas, but it wouldn't be DUNE MESSIAH at all.

Well, no - it would be an adaptation of Dune: Messiah. And one that might actually not flop horribly in cinemas.

I feel like many book fans (of any series, really) don't understand the difference between mediums. Dramatics work very differently from prose. Some books can kind-of sort-of be adapted from page to screen, but most such attempts just fall flat. I think the old Sy-Fy miniseries adaptation of Dune serves as a decent example of this - it's the most "faithful" of the adaptations from book to screen, but it's just awful as dramatic media - boring, terrilbe pacing, uninteresting character interactions - the David Lynch movie at least was good fun and had many creative ideas (such as voiceover thoughts, which didn't work but was at least entertaining and quite a creative solution to the omniscient third person perspective of the novel where the reader gets to follow what's going on in everyone's heads).

Case in point: Some book nerds seem to think Lady Jessica is too misty-eyed and emotional in Villeneuve's Dune Part 1 adaptation. Well let me tell you that the change to Jessica made absolute sense to me, because they made her serve as the protagonist of the movie alongside Paul. Had she not been the emotional outlet of the audience we would have been stuck with two aloof, serious, frowny characters for over two hours and the movie would almost certainly have been panned by audiences and critics alike. And deservedly so. That movie desperately needed some heart, and they decided to make Jessica the vehicle for that.

Now, could you have made another choice than to make Jessica a lead character? Yes. But since they did, that change made perfect sense to me.

Look, let me put it in terms you nerds can understand: It's as if you were to design a strategy video game based on Dune, but only allow for events to unfold just as they do in the book. I mean, anything else wouldn't be "faithful", right? So the game Dune 2 is terrible because they invented a third faction (Ordos) that wasn't even in the novel! Boo! And Atreides doesn't always win! Double boo!

[Lagom Lite]

Case in point: Some book nerds seem to think Lady Jessica is too misty-eyed and emotional in Villeneuve's Dune Part 1 adaptation. Well let me tell you that the change to Jessica made absolute sense to me, because they made her serve as the protagonist of the movie alongside Paul. Had she not been the emotional outlet of the audience we would have been stuck with two aloof, serious, frowny characters for over two hours and the movie would almost certainly have been panned by audiences and critics alike. And deservedly so. That movie desperately needed some heart, and they decided to make Jessica the vehicle for that.

Now, could you have made another choice than to make Jessica a lead character? Yes. But since they did, that change made perfect sense to me.

To add: I think Villeneuve could have made Dune into 3 movies instead of 2, and it would have worked a bit better on the whole.

First movie should have ended with the Harkonnen attack and the death of Leto. The whole movie could have had a spotlight on Paul's relationship to his father instead of his mother. I think following their relationship and the heartbreaking conclusion at the end of the movie had made for a better film than Dune part 1. Villeneuve could have spent more time on Yueh and the Thufir investigations into the traitor, and the Thufir-Jessica interaction from the novel. Also, the dinner scene. Also, Liet Kynes dying visions of his father. And mentats (a tiny bit, but don't overdo it like Lynch did).

Second movie would have been all about the Fremen. Meeting their culture and integrating into it. Basically the last part of the first movie and the first hour and a half of the second. Paul falls in love with Chani and wrestles with his disturbing visions.

Third movie Paul would be the Kwisatz Haderach, so showdown with the emperor and Harkonnen. Revenge, fanaticism, betrayal and epic conclusion.

I feel like Denis could then have left the Duniverse for a while, and made Messiah into the beginning of a Messiah-Children trilogy instead in a decade or so, maybe even into God-Emperor as a finisher.

As it stands, I think Messiah is going to be a tough script to sell.

[hepcat]

Case in point: Some book nerds seem to think Lady Jessica is too misty-eyed and emotional in Villeneuve's Dune Part 1 adaptation. Well let me tell you that the change to Jessica made absolute sense to me, because they made her serve as the protagonist of the movie alongside Paul. Had she not been the emotional outlet of the audience we would have been stuck with two aloof, serious, frowny characters for over two hours and the movie would almost certainly have been panned by audiences and critics alike. And deservedly so. That movie desperately needed some heart, and they decided to make Jessica the vehicle for that.

Now, could you have made another choice than to make Jessica a lead character? Yes. But since they did, that change made perfect sense to me.

To add: I think Villeneuve could have made Dune into 3 movies instead of 2, and it would have worked a bit better on the whole.

Honestly, even though I praised Villeneuve's mastery of pacing, I think that would have been even better. While I didn't think it felt rushed, I still would've liked more time with Paul's ascension, the introduction and deployment of Feyd, and especially the last 30 minutes of the movie. That alone could easily have been stretched to an hour.

As it stands, I think Messiah is going to be a tough script to sell.

The movie is being held up as one of the films that have saved theatrical showings in a post pandemic world. I would think all he has to do at this point is utter, "I may want to...." and the line of studios wanting to do his bidding will be lined up for a country mile.

[Holman]

To add: I think Villeneuve could have made Dune into 3 movies instead of 2, and it would have worked a bit better on the whole.

First movie should have ended with the Harkonnen attack and the death of Leto. The whole movie could have had a spotlight on Paul's relationship to his father instead of his mother. I think following their relationship and the heartbreaking conclusion at the end of the movie had made for a better film than Dune part 1. Villeneuve could have spent more time on Yueh and the Thufir investigations into the traitor, and the Thufir-Jessica interaction from the novel. Also, the dinner scene. Also, Liet Kynes dying visions of his father. And mentats (a tiny bit, but don't overdo it like Lynch did).

Second movie would have been all about the Fremen. Meeting their culture and integrating into it. Basically the last part of the first movie and the first hour and a half of the second. Paul falls in love with Chani and wrestles with his disturbing visions.

Third movie Paul would be the Kwisatz Haderach, so showdown with the emperor and Harkonnen. Revenge, fanaticism, betrayal and epic conclusion.

I feel like Denis could then have left the Duniverse for a while, and made Messiah into the beginning of a Messiah-Children trilogy instead in a decade or so, maybe even into God-Emperor as a finisher.

As it stands, I think Messiah is going to be a tough script to sell.

I have to disagree.

Movies have to be pretty tight. Peter Jackson did an amazing job of presenting the LOTR trilogy as three movies, and he absolutely fucked up his reputation by presenting THE HOBBIT as three more.

I think your three-movie schema above falls apart in the middle section. Looking back at DUNE (the novel), there's really not a lot that actually *happens* as Paul becomes a Fremen. So much of it on paper is explanation of various ecological, psychological, religious, and political ideas (some of them nonsense). It's a fascinating read if you're the kind of SF nerd (like me!) who likes that sort of thing, but it doesn't translate easily to film. You might as well ask for a movie of the appendices.

Villeneuve knows how to make smart, sharp, cerebral movies. He has taken on DUNE and DUNE MESSIAH because he wants to do that with these stories. I think we can be comfortable letting him do it.

[hepcat]

Villeneuve knows how to make smart, sharp, cerebral movies. He has taken on DUNE and DUNE MESSIAH because he wants to do that with these stories. I think we can be comfortable letting him do it.

While I still agree with Lagom that it might have been even better as 3 films, I can't argue with the fact that Villeneuve is the best director of high brow science fiction working right now. He shows reverence, respect and love for everything he tackles. And he's a goddamn artist when it comes to set design. I cannot wait to see what he does next.

[Carpet_pissr]

[Zarathud]

The second movie could have been about finding acceptance in a hostile society but that risked losing SciFi fans in the outsider and love story. He’s set up Part 2 as Chani/Fremen related, with Part 3 as Princess/Empire related. Basically his Destiny in Part 1 has consequences. It can work, and the 3 part was enough to ensnare three key actresses.