Gabrielle Tellez
Managing Editor
“I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer… Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain,” So goes the famous quote from author Frank Herbert’s seminal science fiction novel, “Dune.”
Fifty-six years after its initial publication in 1965, a film adaptation of Herbert’s “Dune” will hit theaters and streaming service HBO Max on Oct. 22.
According to Joe Otterson at Variety, a television series entitled “Dune: The Sisterhood” is also currently being produced exclusively for HBO Max.
This is Hollywood’s second attempt at adapting the novel after David Lynch’s “Dune” failed with critics and audiences in 1984— panned as a “deeply flawed work that failed as a commercial enterprise” said The Atlantic’s Daniel D. Snyder.
This time, Oscar nominee Denis Villeneuve (“Arrival,” “Blade Runner 2049”) will direct the Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures production.
With big names like Zendaya, Jason Momoa and Timothée Chalamet starring, “Dune” is already one of the year’s most anticipated films.
The upcoming film will have much to live up to as the award-winning novel is “perhaps the greatest novel in the science-fiction canon,” according to British author and journalist Hari Kunzru.
Serving as a major inspiration to works like George Lucas’ “Star Wars,” the influences of “Dune” have been echoed within the science fiction genre years after its inception.
“I know nothing comparable to it except Lord of the Rings,” wrote science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke in praise of the novel, comparing it to J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy epic.
“Dune” follows the story of 15-year-old Paul Atreides (Chalamet) as his royal family settles on the unfamiliar sand planet, Arrakis.
Arrakis serves as the sole home to the rarest and most valuable resource in the known universe: the spice melange — an addictive narcotic able to expand its user’s consciousness and life expectancy.
Upon their settlement, conflict soon follows House Atreides, and a vicious battle for the sand planet and the fate of the known universe ensues.
There are also giant sandworms, intergalactic feuds and ancient prophecies mentioned in the 600-page sci-fi epic.
“Dune” has been notoriously difficult to adapt to film due to its length and complexity.
IMAX preview screenings have confirmed that Villeneuve’s “Dune” will only cover the novel’s first half, officially titled “Dune: Part 1.”
Only time will tell if “Dune” will stick to its current Oct. 22 release date.
With the film already delayed a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a box office failure might spoil Villenueve’s plans for a proper sequel.
However, the commercial success of Villeneuve’s “Dune” this October may usher in the next major blockbuster franchise.
