What do you think? Zoe Saldana as Chani?

[Dr. Strange]

''Guardians of the Galaxy' star Zoe Saldana wants to be in Denis Villeneuve’s 'Dune'

Zoe Saldana isn’t content to just do Marvel, Star Trek and Avatar movies — the actress has her eyes set on Denis Villeneuve’s upcoming Dune remake.

During a press day to promote her role as Gamora in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Saldana was asked whether she wanted to add any more titles to her sci-fi resume.

She didn’t hesitate, name-checking Dune, the bestselling 1960s sci-fi book series by Frank Herbert, which is in the works with Villeneuve (who just finished Blade Runner 2049). Saldana also revealed she liked to role-play as characters from the book, including Lady Jessica and the Bene Gesserit, as a youngster.


http://www.torontosun.com/2017/04/21/guardians-of-the-galaxy-star-zoe-saldana-wants-to-be-in-denis-villeneuves-dune

I'd be interested to hear everyones'^* opinions.


^*Except for those DUers whose username starts with "O" and ends in "rrex".

[lies]

1. Who knows

She's great IMO, but Dune is pretty difficult to adapt, and Villeneuve is a very mixed bag. So while I'm sure she'll be fine in it, I have little hope that the actual movie will be any good.

[Dr. Strange]

3. This is true.

As excited as I am to see another version of Dune, there's so much opportunity to screw things up. A difficult tale to work into a 2-3 hour movie.

[sarge43]

5. It should be a three parter ala LOTR. n/t

[Dr. Strange]

6. YES!!!!

Exactly! Brilliant!

We shall call this...The Golden Path!

My only concern is whether it would be commercially viable. I mean, I'd watch the crap out of it, but I don't know if it would be able to get the kind of response the Hobbit movies did.

[sarge43]

9. The Sci Fi Channel's production did this and it worked.

It was flawed, but it IMO was much tighter and more coherent than the film.

[Dr. Strange]

11. I loved what they did with it.

I was even more impressed with the Children of Dune miniseries. (That was my first exposure to James McAvoy.) Good stuff!

[sarge43]

2. I think she would be a good fit.

I'd be more interested who is cast as Jessica. She, as much as Paul, perhaps more, is the central character. Her decisions and actions are the engine of the narrative -- defying the BG and having a son, securing a place for Paul among the Fremen, risking the transformation to a Rev Mother and the effect it had on Alia.

[Orrex]

4. .

[Dr. Strange]

7. So...you're saying Zoe Saldana is oval-faced?

It's reasons like this that result in your being banned from Fremen society.

[Orrex]

8. They could get Trump to play Baron Harkonnen.

Think of the money they'd save on makeup.

[Dr. Strange]

10. Yeah, but good luck getting him to say his lines right.

Baron Harkonnen: I will have Arrakis back for myself! He who controls the Spice, that Spice stuff, in the sands with the worms and the sand, that's who controls the universe. Now, what Piter here did not tell you is we have control of someone who is very close, very close, really close, the closest, really, to Duke Leto! This person, this traitor, will be worth more to us than ten legions of those Sardaucharderbarters! Those soldiers.

Feyd-Rautha: And who is this traitor?

Baron Harkonnen: I won't tell you who the traitor is. It could be Yueh, or it could be someone else entirely. It's a secret. However, I will tell you this: the Duke will die before these eyes and he'll know, believe me, he'll know, that it is I, Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, who really so bigly encompasses his doom!

[Orrex]

12. Heh. Well-played.

[Solly Mack]

13. I can see it.

I fucking love the Dune books.

[LanternWaste]

14. Dune is a movie whose cast is tertiary to script and directing.

Dune is a movie whose cast is tertiary to script and directing. The cast from the 80's crapfest could have done a stellar job has the story been given a better treatment and stayed true to the emotional spine of the original narrative.

It's a tough film adaptation, maybe as tought as Lord of the Rings, as it covers everything from standard sci-fi to metaphysics and religion to politics, but Villenueva *may* be the right guy for the job from the one movie oh his I've seen (Arrival), focusing more on personalities and character-arc over the flashy, "look!-ain'twe-cool?" FX crap of The Matrix.

Parts of me think that given the right script, the right director and the right balance of more story v less action, even Pee Wee Herman could pull off an adequate Paul. On the other hand, two cast members almost ruined Lord of the Rings for me.

I could certainly see Zaldana as Lady Jessica, but she's a wee bit old for Chiani.

[sarge43]

15. Saldana would probably be a better choice for Lady Jessica

Jessica was about 15 years old when she became Leto's bound concubine. That would make her about 30 when Dune began. That's closer to Saldana's age, plus it's a much juicier role. She should gun for that one.

Again, too much story for one feature length film and the editing was appallingly bad.