[image error] A new movie version of a cult classic SF story that should be great and not just good.

09/13/2020 . A new movie based on Frank Herbert’s novel, Dune, is due to be released in December. An official trailer for the movie was recently released. It struck me as good. It should have been great. Dune, the novel, is a science fiction classic. Published in 1965, it predates Star Wars and garnered a cult following. Like Star Wars, the story is “the hero’s journey” set in a space opera environment. It is also deeper in theme and plot complexity than Star Wars. Herbert published five sequel novels after the first.

A movie of the first Dune novel was made in 1984, directed by David Lynch and starring Kyle MacLachlan. Though this movie had some flaws, it was overall well done and is something of a cult classic itself. It was well-cast with popular, solid actors such as Patrick Stewart, Jose Ferrer, Virginia Madsen, Dean Stockwell, Max von Sydow, and even Sting.

So based on all these successful presentations of a cult classic SF novel, a new production with state-of-the-art CGI and capable actors (e.g., Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides) should be very great. I fear, however, that like the last Star Wars trilogy, it will not be. A number of things disturb me.

I expect, for example, that the character of Chani will be sexualized. The trailer indicates this, along with the actress, Zendaya, being featured ahead of Timothée Chalamet (the lead). In the novel, Chani is the love interest of the protag, Paul Atreides. Their relationship is well-done in the novel, with Chani being a confidant and aide to Paul, as well as lover. The trailer seems to make more of her as a sex object.

Also, the character of Liet-Kynes has been gender-swapped. A male in the novel (played by Max von Sydow in the 1984 movie), the character is female in the 2020 movie. Why? There are several strong female parts in the novel (Jessica, Shadout Mapes, Gaius Helen Mohiam, Princess Irulan) so that the creation of a significant female part should not have been necessary.

And then, Jason Momoa as Duncan Idaho seems a miscast to me. Idaho is a secondary character in the first novel and not in the narrative for very long. Though he was played ably by Richard Jordan in the 1984 movie, I think casting Jason Momoa in the part indicates an elaboration of the part beyond Herbert’s intentions. And such an elaboration indicates that the filmmakers believe can tell Frank Herbert’s story better than Frank Herbert, which I highly doubt. 

And on and on. Thus I have major doubts about this movie, which is based on a book that I much loved.

I think that the suckiness of much of current movies and series comes from the greater corporate control of the entertainment industry. Certainly, movies and TV have always been propaganda conduits for the government (re: Loony Tunes during WWII), but that role seem particularly egregious at this time. I think the technocrats that rule us have reduced movies and TV/cable series to formulas that meet their criteria for the command and control of us.

Take Star Wars, for example. The first two trilogies were inspirations of their creator, George Lucas. When Disney took creative control for the last trilogy, we were given warmed-over rehashes of the previous movies that felt like an amalgamation of memes meant to produce profits from presumed thoughtless zombie-fans. 

I felt the corporate influence of the Star Wars VIII - The Last Jedi movie. It was a disappointment because I was a long-time fan, having seen the first movie in 1977. Though I felt some nostalgia in the viewing, I also felt cheated, and expressed my feelings in a review . 

So maybe this new version of Dune will be great and a tribute to the classic SF story that has enthralled fans for decades. I doubt that. I have had too many disappointments. The current trend of movie/series storytelling has been too much corporate propaganda for the ruling elites. I think the 2020 version of Dune will be no different. 

Why do I feel that way? At this point, corporations rule the world. In the early days of movies and TV, it may have been that artists provided 40% input into what was presented, and sponsoring corporations provided 60%. Today, artists present maybe 2%, and they are heavily swayed by money. That’s my guess based on what I see. 

My recommendation is that If you watch the 2020 Dune movie, also watch the 1984 version afterward. If you feel some dissonance between the two movies, then take a leap and read the original novel. You may find something there, beyond any tech presentation.