Seems to check all the boxes.
Classic novel? Check.
Denis Villeneuve? Check.
Fantastic cast? Check.
Through the roof production value? Check.
The novel Dune is considered something the crown jewel of science fiction. Frank Herbert blends politics, ecology and religion into an engrossing and entertaining space opera. It was way ahead of its time. It’s everything that’s good about Star Trek and Star Wars rolled into one. What the hell, throw in Game of Thrones for good measure. The problem is, they haven’t been able to make a good movie out of it yet. The David Lynch adaptation (1984) was universally panned by critics and contains cringe worthy moments like Sting in a speedo. There was a miniseries, which didn’t fare much better critically, back in the year 2000. And there have also been a few failed attempts at making adaptations in between.
I would add that though a comparison to Star Wars is tempting, Dune is a really complex world and will not work as a simple adventure story. Dune is deep and any serious adpatation is by default a very ambitious endeavour.
Enter Denis Villeneuve: Sicario, Arrival and Blade Runner 2049. I love these movies. Chances are, you love these movies. I would go as far as to say Blade Runner 2049 is an almost perfect movie. As far as movies on this side of Marvel/DC cinema are concerned, Blade Runner 2049 is ballsy to the point of lunacy, with a long, slow, often quiet, and dare I say intelligent science fiction story. Naturally it bombed at the box office, but it seems to be beloved by anyone who saw it. I really admire the movie, but at 2 hours and 45 minutes I am just as likely to fall asleep before I get to the end as I am to gawk at the breathtaking cinematography and directing. It’s my favourite movie that I’m rarely able to sit through. And Denis Villeneuve is one movie away from being one of my favourite directors of all time.
I’m hoping Dune will be that movie that turns people, including myself, into Denis Villeneuve fanboys in the way Batman Begins turned people into Nolan fanboys. Fans of Dune regard the property as this untapped gem that’s just been waiting to get the treatment it deserves. With 2020 special effects and a dazzling cast, it’s hard to imagine that this movie isn’t going to blow people away when it drops.
Also, the Dune series has giant frickin’ monster sandworms! Who doesn’t want to see this on screen?
What’s my one concern? Well, the series is so complex and so intricate, I feel like Dune would be better adapted as a miniseries. I’m already frustrating myself trying to figure out where the movie will cut the book in half. The first book is probably too much to adapt into one movie and it will be horrible to have to wait a year or more for the follow-up to whatever the first movie ends up being.
So, here’s hoping! We know the movie is in good hands, but will it be a franchise-starter? It seems to me that good art is equal measures competence and lightning in a bottle. We’ll see if it all comes together.
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