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Dune Remake to be a Hard PG-13, Massive Adventure Epic

by Brandon Lee Tenney
September 15, 2009
Source: MTV

It's been two years since Peter Berg confirmed he was attached to direct the third adaptation of Frank Herbert's seminal science fiction novel Dune. Of course, the first adaptation was auteur David Lynch's avant-garde, torpid 1984 film, the second being Sci Fi Channel'sminiseries in 2000. But little has been said about this third attempt to corral the story of Paul Atreides and his family amidst a futuristic feudal interstellar empire as they take control of the lone source of spice melange, the most valuable resource in the universe. It's no wonder Dune has proved a worthy foe when condensed into film form.

And when speaking to MTV, Berg confirmed this exact problem. The script, as it stands, is almost 200 pages, according to Berg, "a massive epic." But even before "beating [the script] into something manageable without offending the purists," Berg is looking into the future, saying Dune has franchise potential. But of the first film in his proposed franchise, he said this:

"My experience with the book was different than David Lynch's experience or the people behind the Sci Fi Channel's experience. I found it to be more of an adventure tale, more of a muscular action/adventure story. I think that's my approach, not as an R-rated film, but as a pretty hard PG-13 film about a young man dealing with issues of vengeance over the death of his father and wanting some payback and having to come to terms with his destiny along the way."

Sounds a bit like the Star Wars prequels, to me. Sure, the Dune universe is a rich, expansive environment, but what makes Dune, Dune is the interplay of the socio-economic, political struggles effecting the characters and the familial, localized emotional struggle of the main characters. Distilling the story into a base action/adventure story? It won't be a Dune that the purists will flock to, but it may, in reality, make a lot better film. And overall, making a great film is Peter Berg's foremost job. Should they just let a sleeping sandworm lie? Or does Berg's take on Dune sound like what you've always hoped for? Stay tuned for more updates.

Filed under Movie News, Opinions

From around the web:

darren

Definitly have to wait to see the trailer before i can say anything about it. I've always loved Dune and i hope that this isn't yet another disappointment with adaptions of books to the screen. but i want to have faith
l.21

I loved the 1984 movie, and I was just a kid when I saw it. The sci-fi versions didn't thrill me as much. I look forward to this latest version but the action/adventure angle has me sensing red-flags. Good luck to Peter, I (and probably many others) will be keeping my eyes on this one.
Holly

Berg has far too many projects in development. He's too greedy and needs to ditch some of them.
Deity Falkor

I have only one worry about stripping the "socio-economic, political" side out and focusing on the action aspect that I can describe in two simple words. Starship Troopers.
Guy

Berg's off his nut. The really important bits of Dune, that have ensured its continuing success is its philosophy. I hold no hope for this adaptation.
Sabes

Well, that kind of makes me lose hope for this.... It was more than some action/adventure. You can make a philosophical / political struggle movie -with- action and adventure. It just takes a good director and some good writing. :\
http://crabby.com crabby

I will wait to see a trailer to make a decision. All I can say is that this is going to be a hard movie to produce.
bozo

Agree with 5/6 - also... a "hard PG-13"? Rly? Fail prediction.
Greedo

I still think of Berg as the doofus from Aspen Extreme.
xerxex

sweet, not R but I'm willing, to see it.
xerxex

sweet, not R but I'm willing, to see it.
yai

one of the greatest and deepest and most extensive stories ever told put into into an adventure/action movie will not be adequate.
2+2=4

Actually, David Lynch removed his name from his Dune, because he didn't like the final cut of the film. Since he couldn't do much because of the agreement with the studio that they are responsible for editing, he decided not to put his name on the print, and instead put pseudonym Alan Smithee in the credits. If you watch the movie, because I think you never did, you wouldn't find the name of David Lynch anywhere. Alan Smithee, of course, is the famous fictional name that many Hollywood directors used when they don't approve of the final version of the film. So when you say "auteur David Lynch's avant-garde, torpid 1984 film", you are wrong, and I am pretty sure Lynch wouldn't agree with you either.
REAL6

Bwhahahahahaha @ Hard PG-13. Hahahaha cornball. Just make the movie and worry about rating last!!!!
Colin

Saying Dune is about Paul dealing with vengeance for his father and coming to terms with his destiny along the way is doing the novel a great disservice. If anything, vengeance was a welcome side-product of living, coming to certain revelations, and seizing power. "For the father, nothing." Each previous adaptation had one or more fatal flaws: Lynch's - Dune's rain and the weirding weapons were idiotic and made no sense, nor did they even attempt to make sense of them. Sci-Fi's - Paul was a petulant child constantly in an attitude of, "Aww, do I have to?" Avoiding these is a good place to start.
http://twitter.com/gimmesumsuga Mathieu

Hard PG-13? A contradiction in terms, surely? And invoking Starship Troopers as an example of a film deprived of political subtext?! Verhoeven's film is a brilliant satire of right-wing foreign policy, disguised as an action movie. I can't believe that aspect of this much-misunderstood film still goes over people's heads... What I really want with regards to Dune, is for David Lynch to make peace with the movie and re-edit it to give us a cut closer to his original vision. So much of it is so good, it seems a shame to leave only a bastardized version in circulation.
zibo fricka

They need to make it hard R They need to put some big titty mermaids doing that kinky lezbian shit.
Bryanmakeup

I already heard enough. It's going to be awful! The last thing you want to do is soften up the material! My God what are the thinking. An adventure tale? This ain't Never Ending Story IV padre. Dune is meant to be gritty. I'd like to see a Battlestar treatment myself. As for the Hard PG-13. Well that means maybe some boobs, but no bush. Light or implied drug use but, absolutely no use of the word "Fuck". But you can blow shit up. Hell you can split open your buddy next to you down the middle, drink his blood and drag his in-trials up a mountain. But if we so ever see a breast or hear a curse word it's an "R". For the fine points in how the MPAA rate films then check out "This Film is Not Yet Rated" you will be oh so informed of the insanity.
Sabes

"An adventure tale? This ain't Never Ending Story IV padre" <3
Cookeecut

Seriously. I'll give him credit, in the sense that he is honest about the whole thing. I can almost hear him...: "Yes, I will f....k up Dune but this is the only way kids these days will get to understand one of the most complex novels ever written". Hurrah for Hollywood once more. Now, please let me get back to the book...
yojoe

I really like the whole dune universe and even once started to read those big big books but as a film it cannot work without pissing of the diehard fans of the book because its not entertaining to show hours of boring space politics, no matter how big a genius herbert was its just plain boring!!!
bozo

@20 - lol - couldn't have said it better.
SwolN PekR

@18--- What's an "in-trial"? Oh, you mean ENTRAILS! And, uh, the Fremen don't drink just blood---they drink all of a man's water.
RStewie

I don't know about this. We don't need more dumbed-down classics. We NEED the intellectual and philosophical parts of Dune...they are one of the main points of the movie! Sometimes...more explosions aren't the answer.