I can’t say I’m entirely surprised by the new rumor that actor/writer/director Peter Berg (Hancock, The Kingdom, the upcoming Battleship movie) is leaving the new film version of Frank Herbert’s Dune by the wayside. It’s a huge property that has not only been done before (twice), but it also doesn’t seem to lend itself to Berg’s knack for modern day urban action. It’d be really tough to shift from properties like Hancock and Friday Night Lights to this behemoth.
That said, it’s sort of sad to see the guy not stretching his wings a little bit. In the running, however, are two big names that roll off the tongue a little bit better when attached to the title.
Neill Blomkamp’s Dune.
Neil Marshall’s Dune.
Actually, neither of those run off the tongue very well, but their careers are far more suited to the subject material: Blomkamp directed the amazing District 9 this year, while Marshall is responsible for sci-fi horror action films such as The Descent, Doomsday and Dog Soldiers.
If the rumors are true, and Dune is going into the hands of one of these directors, then either way it will be a monumental leap upward in terms of scale: Dune is a sweeping, epic story, and depending on how many novels they intend to draw the storyline from, the movie could be anywhere from 2 hours to 17 years long.
What do you think? Who’s better suited to the Dune property, Blomkamp or Marshall? Let the battle of the Neils begin here in the AtomicPopcorn.net comments!
I say let it be. No need to remake it again. The overall arching story is massive and could be like a trilogy as in LOTR big. But it wont be and it will be disappointing,
I say let it be. No need to remake it again. The overall arching story is massive and could be like a trilogy as in LOTR big. But it wont be and it will be disappointing,