A thread about the Denis Villeneuve-helmed reboot of DUNE

He’s arguing that Warner bros should give it a theatrical release in October

I'm confused, isn't that still happening? The current plan is a simultaneous release in theatres and HBO Max. I think Villeneuve's saying it should be theatres only, but he's arguing as though it won't be shown in theatres at all.

I *think* he's partly arguing that by October 2021 things will be back to normal and the collective theatrical experience will resume, so he wanted to stick with that rescheduled release date. Which ... who knows what even next week will bring at this rate. But then there's this:

Warner Bros.’ decision means “Dune” won’t have the chance to perform financially in order to be viable and piracy will ultimately triumph.

I dunno, I think he's (again, rightly) mostly pissed at having been taken by surprise by this corporate-minded decision. Because I'm with Soderbergh and others in thinking that until there's a streaming service that enables a single movie to bring in a billion dollars, then studios will be more than happy to stick with the theatrical model. Now, smaller movies might have more trouble than ever in the post-Covid era, but that's as much the problem with too-big-to-fail $200 million franchises themselves, in which case Villeneuve (or Nolan, et al.) isn't exactly helping the cause.

I honestly don't understand why there is any expectation this would necessarily do any better than Blade Runner 2049, even in the best of circumstances. I think that movie ended up doing OK, but it wasn't exactly a galvanizing event film.

Then again, looks Denis Villeneuve is eying a "Cleopatra" film next, so clearly making things anyone wants to see is not a real priority of his.

Since we're Roku people and are not going to go see anything in a theater until the vaccine is widespread among the general populace, I'm with Villenueve here. I was hoping this would be a cool date night movie to see with my wife on a nice big screen and instead it's going to be a fart in a hurricane like every other big tentpole released during quarantine. Fuck Warner.

You might be able to get hbo max on a computer and screen mirror?

Or... I could just tell AT&T to eat shit

I'm confused, isn't that still happening? The current plan is a simultaneous release in theatres and HBO Max. I think Villeneuve's saying it should be theatres only, but he's arguing as though it won't be shown in theatres at all.

His argument is about getting the second one made - by dual releasing it in October, the box office numbers are going to be smaller than they would otherwise be, because HBOMax revenue just for Dune isn't really quantifiable (and given studio shenanigans they will almost certainly downplay its value there). His fear that it will be treated as a flop which will then mean there's no Dune II: The Duning.

xp in my way, you at least get to see the movie. it doesn't feel as good, though.

It does, does it?

An Official Poster Banner of DUNE. pic.twitter.com/vVGmZ1xBa6

— ⊃∪∩⪽ (@DuneNews) July 19, 2021

Also IMAX trailer or something in the next couple of days.

:D

New #DuneMovie posters are out! This one is my favorite. pic.twitter.com/edywSvapTZ

— Dune Sietchposting (@Sietchposting) July 19, 2021

I am very much looking forward to #Dune.

But the combination of this character name and that poster makes it look like a Nicholas Sparks adaptation about a salt-of-the-earth tractor repair man who has yet to figure out the mysteries of the human heart. https://t.co/qo5ejsaEms

— Darren Mooney (@Darren_Mooney) July 19, 2021

sorry that's the most tryhard tweet i've seen in a while

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8g18jFHCLXk

oh good there's Banter

Please please no spoilers on what is beginning

lotta momoa itt (in that trailer)

"Smile, Gurney." (literally nobody is smiling)

Both what I expected and kinda not, so.

looks great imo

rebecca ferguson was a great casting choice

Looks a little better than I expected, but still terrible.

😢 pic.twitter.com/lq5h5CAlMS

— pixelatedboat aka “mr tweets” (@pixelatedboat) July 22, 2021

tbf to that tweet "duncan idaho" is one of the stupidest character names of all time

this looks good enough to me though. seems like they might have successfully threaded the needle re:depicting the tech & imagery described in the book faithfully without making it look completely ridiculous and camp

new trailer is much more exciting than the previous one

smart business move to make it so brown and dark that you need to see it in IMAX to make out wtf is going on

pic.twitter.com/RNexQYq68a

— the thicc husband & father (@lukeisamazing) July 22, 2021

lmao come on

The best part of casting a not-fat, not-gay actor in a fat gay role is them talking about how arduous the process is. Did they have to wear a fat suit?! How awful! Did they have to flirt with a guy?! The indignity! pic.twitter.com/Fn0Q3N5ylY

— Guy Branum (@guybranum) July 22, 2021

slay, space pedo, work

A trailer breakdown for those inclined

https://gizmodo.com/breaking-down-the-sandworm-riding-and-space-folding-in-1847342233

Has anyone ever seen Stellan Skarsgård make any facial expression besides the one in that photo? Share your testimony, if so.

Pretty sure I remember him doing that face at various points in Hunt for Red October thirty years back, so no.

DUDE. Er, DUNE.

The official #DUNE poster has arrived. 📸🎬

The film is set to arrive on October 22, 2021. pic.twitter.com/dYFvpcJnzk

— Complex Pop Culture (@ComplexPop) August 9, 2021

DUDE. Er, DUNE.

The official #DUNE poster has arrived. 📸🎬

The film is set to arrive on October 22, 2021. pic.twitter.com/dYFvpcJnzk

— Complex Pop Culture (@ComplexPop) August 9, 2021

Bah. (Sorry, computer connection weirdness.)

Denis, Gerronwirit

When a film costs this much, are quips demanded by the studio? Bladerunner 2 didn't have quips.

*notes that it still doesn't say Part I and moves on*

What I am curious is where they will break at the end of the first movie?

Jessica taking the water of life...then Paul riding the Sandworm for the first time?

Yeah that...wait.

https://gizmodo.com/dunes-making-of-book-is-so-massive-hans-zimmer-wrote-i-1847462195

Frank Herbert’s Star Wars

io9 can exclusively reveal that the Oscar-winning composer of Dune (and a few dozen other iconic movies over the past 40 years) was so inspired when he looked at the upcoming behind-the-scenes book from Insight Editions, he decided to write some musical accompaniment.

this is 100% horseshit right? zimmer has an entire stable of ghost composers that write practically everything

How dare you question the genius who Totally Did It All Himself, Man.

"Hmm, I love these photos showing off the product design and art direction, but I miss the sense of being emotionally manipulated."

er, production design

actually, you know what, leave it as is

trailer brought the BRAAAAMMMMS

Hmm, could work. (Certainly there's shifts in POV in the second half of the book but I can't recall how many are Chani-centered?)

In a recent interview with La Repubblica (translated by IGN), Denis Villeneuve revealed Zendaya’s character, Chani, will be the primary protagonist of Dune Part II:

I’m honoured to present on-screen two talents [Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya] that are so explosive, and I can’t wait to shoot the second part of Dune to get them back together. Knowing that in the next chapter Zendaya will be the protagonist of the story.

“What’s in the box?” “Pain.” pic.twitter.com/30VcZXpZXD

— Ben Lesnick (@banditloaf) August 20, 2021

Dune seems to inspire some odd movie stuff, anyone remember that document they handed out in the lobby to help 'explain' things when the Lynch one came out?