It Looks Like It's Happening

There have been rumors of a rebooted/reimaged Dune movie in the works for years now. But it looks like it's finally happening.

As I may have written before, when the original Dune came out in 1984 I was ecstatic. The Dune series remain my favorite books of all time, and while it was a difficult, convoluted story, I knew the first time I read it that it was deserving of a proper screen adaptation.

That being said, when I saw David Lynch's version, I walked away sorely disappointed. Visually stunning, what I saw on screen matched almost exactly what I had visualized while reading the novel. But halfway through the story had been changed to such a degree that it was almost unrecognizable. And Paul making it rain at the end? Water is poison to the sandworms, so he would've effectively destroyed all spice production then and there.

I had my hopes dashed once again with the Dune and Children of Dune miniseries that appeared on the SyFy Channel in the early 2000s. This time the story matched the books almost perfectly, but the visuals were off. They looked cheap and I not-so-affectionately refer to the production as "Planet of the Hats." Still, it was better than nothing, and better than Lynch because at least it followed the original storyline.

That's why when I heard that Dennis Villeneuve (most recently known for Blade Runner 2049) would be taking the helm this time around, I had my hopes rekindled that we'd finally see a Dune worthy of its beloved status.

This production will star Timothee Chalamet (Call Me By Your Name) as Paul Atreides. The cast will also include Rebecca Ferguson (Mission Impossible) as Lady Jessica, Dave Bautista (Guardians of the Galaxy) as Beast Rabban, Charlotte Rampling (Broadchurch) as The Reverend Mother Helen Mohiam (perfect!), and Stellan Skarsgård (Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again) as Baron Harkonnen. The other major roles have yet to be cast, but I'm optimistic because of who has already signed on.

The film is expected to begin filming in Budapest and Jordan this spring.

Precious few details have leaked out, but today I found these enigmatic photos on a Dune fan taken in Jordan that were simply labeled, "Arrakis, Jordan. Wadi Rum. Our New Home of Dune."

Squee!