What does Dune need to make itself popular again?

[Dunenewt]

What does the Dune series need to make itself really popular? I think *prepares to dodge anything thrown*, a big budget Hollywood film of the Butlerian Jiha, especially with the great CGI scenes that are possible, I think it would do quite well.  Any other less radical ideas? 

[Dante]

Popularity at that cost? No thank you. To make Dune, and I mean the real Dune, the original Dune popular again, more people would have to read it. Perhaps it should be studied in universities...

But Dune is a classic, and always will be. Perhaps it doesn't need popularity now. It should, as the years go by, just become part of that special group of books that aren't necessarily popular, but recognised as above the ordinary. Like most of Dickens, The Lord of the Rings, etc.

[Tako]

I agree with Dante

BJ does not deserve to go to the big screen (or any screen what so ever ::))

As for a big hollywood picture, I don't know I mean it did bring back lord of the rings but are those "new" fans really the fans ofthe books or the fans of the movie ( not counting those women who just like LotR for orlando Bloom or Viggo)

so just bump the books back on the top ten and let the real readers judge,

I'm going to be a teacher so i'll recommend the book to my pupils I think that is the best way just tell everybody about the book.

[Andrew]

FHD is taught at some schools, or at least part of the curriculum, as shown on some university course websites.

Big budget movie? sounds nice, but David Lynch's Dune was a big budget film, but it didn't turn out good. They should continue making the miniseries as they are long and can get a lot of story in.

[Egeides]

A Dune movie following Lynch's Dune. Signed David Lynch.

[TMA_1]

I dont think it needs popularity. It already has it's own cult following, and that is the kind of following that Dune should have. It wasent written to please a large fan base.

[Mahdi]

Dude, in the last five years they've made two incredibly successful minseries and had 4 bestsellign novels.

Some of which were back on the bestselling list a year after they were released.

I think it already is pretty popular

[Egeides]

Mahdi, I agree partially. What is popular? Dune, or some kind of starwardization of it?

Nothign against Star Wars, but SW is SW and Dune is Dune. Would you like some ice cream on your steak?

[AeonGrey]

Why on earth do you think it needs to be "popular"?  Most everyone I know has at least heard of it if not read it.  Isn't it enough to have enough people here to discuss it on this message board?  Sure it isn't Star Wars, but the thing I enjoy about being a Dune fan is that the other fans tend to have an actual genuine interest in it--in other words, they don't just think it's "cool".

[Tako]

I have to agree with you on this partially, some of the fans only joined the forum because of the games, and they are not (although I like them too) of the real Dune universe.

true: some of the gamers became readers to after they discoverd the book, and they do have a different part of this forum they are interested in

[Khan]

As much as you guys say that BJ should not be put on to the big screen, I cannot help bu feel that that is where it is headed. It's much less reflective than Dune, and much more extroverted, I think it would be much easier to make one of the prequels into a film than one of the original remaining novels.

[TMA_1]

The series is extremely popular as mahdi said. What I meant by popularity earlier is similar to the sort of Starwars fame. Dune is not a space opera. Dune is hard speculative fiction that appeals to those who are really interested in sci fi that is both fun, yet very serious.

(Dont get me wrong, I love a good space opera or standard sci fi flick. They can be amazing and extremely fun to watch. There is just a big difference between a book by asimov, and kevin j anderson. Know what I am saying?)

[Antagonist]

I am afraid there can be no movie that can do the original series justice.

The book is written in a way that it requires a lot of consideration and understanding to get every detail out of it, if they would have to make a movie about this it would be way, and way too long.

Also most people wouldn't understand it.

Also the general oppinion is that SciFi is for geeks, people rather see see soap opera's and adrenalin packed action movies then a movie that goes in depth on the subject of statecraft.

Dune isn't for everyone, and it shouldn't be made in a form to be suitable to the general masses, we already have starwars for that.

Just be glad that the dune series are still alive, we still see new releases and even the fan fiction is very amusing.

Dune should remain cult and underground, that's how its most appreciated, and thats how it remains true to its roots.

[Sober]

I'd like to see the miniseries continued, even to the end (or past) Dune 7.

Dune is popular, but I don't think it has to be Star Wars popular, which, I can say, though I like it, is more mainstream popular. And we'd have too many people trying to ruin it with their "OGM IT AMS TEH CANON" fan-fiction. (Some people are just like that.).

Imagine if there were Dune mods for every game and Dune books being published left and right, just not good.

And where is FHD learnt in schools? I'd seriously take it if I saw it.

Oh, and I don't think we need Dune Fanboys.

[Andrew]

There were at least one university course offered (found info via a website), but the link is has died.

[Anathema]

I wouldn't mind a big budget film of Dune. It's not as if it magicly causes the original books to dissapear or something, they'll always be there for people who want something more sophisticated.

[Pawe]

Well, now all the Hollywood studios know that you can make a good book->movie adaptation, we just need a team with great passion for dune, great storytellers (for movie) and a fine director with superb cast. Then the Dune would come out as three-parter. Something like Lotr, now then the Dune would get a lot of popularity... but hey, nothing is free. And I'm yet to see a good Dune movie on the big screen. Sci-fi channel's miniseries were good yes, but with a lot of money whole Dune saga would be like... well, Dune would be a milestone to sci-fi, like Lotr is a measurement of fantasy. Or something like that.

And don't flame me. You all got my point.

[TMA_1]

David Lynch loved dune, and the crew was pretty good. What a film for Dune needs is complete creative expression and protection from producers and studios, who usually are the bane of artistic film making. It would have to be renegade film making in my opinion, and that wont ever happen. A good Dune film will never exist, sad but true.

[stefanhendriks]

problem 1 with a movie is, that whenever you will visualize a book you will sort of 'destroy' the 'imagination' readers have. So, perhaps my imagination of the duniverse of th ebooks is totally different then the new movie. I would already be bad judged about the movie itself...

Anyway, if they DO have to make a movie. Make it big budget, but dont let Hollywood do it...

[TMA_1]

We could always get somebody like Robert Rodriguez. Heck we could use a rich genius weirdo who makes interesting films to do Dune. That would be pretty awesome. I dont know if I could trust him though.

[Pawe]

That would be pretty awesome. I dont know if I could trust him though.

Exactly.

[TheRedDuke05]

I have recently have been recruting Dune fans from the official Knights of the Old Republic boards, and I think I have snaged one. I was surprised to see that some of them understood what I was talking about when I was saying dune references and stuff. I think you guys should do what I'm doing and start recruiting  ;)

[TagDaze]

problem 1 with a movie is, that whenever you will visualize a book you will sort of 'destroy' the 'imagination' readers have. So, perhaps my imagination of the duniverse of th ebooks is totally different then the new movie. I would already be bad judged about the movie itself...

Anyway, if they DO have to make a movie. Make it big budget, but dont let Hollywood do it...

Let's leave it up to India. Nah...

What you said is exactly the reason why I don't like the Lynch movie. The pro-Lynchers say that it has the atmosphere of the book, but I never saw Dune as dark and grim. No matter what you will make of a movie, you will bend over and rape the book. Dune is so full of details you are bound to destroy something. In neither the Lynch movie nor in the miniseries they told what was happening to Thufir Hawat, for example. Duncan Idaho didn't play a large role in the either one either, and that's a shame considering he a character that keeps coming back throughout the series. That is all due to one important factor: time.

[AeonGrey]

Let's leave it up to India. Nah...

What you said is exactly the reason why I don't like the Lynch movie. The pro-Lynchers say that it has the atmosphere of the book, but I never saw Dune as dark and grim. No matter what you will make of a movie, you will bend over and rape the book. Dune is so full of details you are bound to destroy something. In neither the Lynch movie nor in the miniseries they told what was happening to Thufir Hawat, for example. Duncan Idaho didn't play a large role in the either one either, and that's a shame considering he a character that keeps coming back throughout the series. That is all due to one important factor: time.

I kind of think Dune would work well as an animated film done in installments or hour-long "episodes" or something.  I'm not saying it should be drawn in "Anime" style, but I like they way they release these super-long epic series.  I also think animation would work well with the trippy spice-sequences and dreams and visions and such.  Also (maybe I dunno what I'm talking about here), but I wouldn't think it would require as big of a budget as a live-action film.  Then there's also the benefit of being able to draw the characters exactly as they appear in the books, etc etc.

[TheRedDuke05]

Yes! I have just gotten two people from the Bioware boards into reading the first book, maybe I can get some more.  ;D