The news Taken director Pierre Morel would direct Dune, a feature film adaptation of Frank Herbert’s highly acclaimed 1965 novel of the same name, hit the digital pages of Entertainment Weekly around 5:45 PM PST on Monday, January 4. I didn’t immediately jump on the news because I figured I would give David Lynch’s not-so-acclaimed 1984 adaptation a once over first (considering the HD DVD had been sitting on my shelf since 2006 and I still hadn’t watched it). As it turns out, I don’t think I will be watching it again.
Herbert’s novel centers on a galactic struggle to control the supply of a valuable spice found only on the desert planet Arrakis and this won’t be the first time someone has touched the material since Lynch. In 2000, the Sci-Fi Channel released a three part mini-series adaptation and then followed that up with a sequel, “Children of Dune,” in 2003.
More recently, Peter Berg (The Kingdom) was set to direct an adaptation as long ago as December 2007, but has since moved on to direct Battleship, an “adaptation” of the Hasbro board game. I guess the classic sci-fi novel proved a bit too daunting and a board game adaptation was a better fit.
Quantum of Solace scripter Josh Zetumer wrote the first draft when Berg was attached, but apparently Paramount Pictures is looking for a new writer to incorporate Morel’s vision of the project into the original draft. “EW” reports the project is a high priority for Paramount’s production chief Adam Goodman.
Morel made a big splash last year with the surprise success of Taken. Prior to that he directed the French actioner District B13 (which I am going to watch right after I publish this post) and on February 5 his next film, From Paris with Love starring John Travolta and Jonathan Rhys Meyers will hit theaters. Coincidentally, a new trailer for that film just hit Apple and you can watch it directly below.
