Rebecca Ferguson was a huge highlight for me in the last two Mission: Impossible films and now it looks like she’s in talks to join the Dune production that director Denis Villeneuve is working on. With Timothee Chalamet on board to play Paul Atreides, Ferguson is in talks for the role of his mother, Lady Jessica, according to Deadline. The last we heard was that the project is looking to adapt the first book in two parts so the character would have a sizable role overall similar to the book.
The first book has sold some twelve million copies in the 50+ years since its debut and it’s one that has been largely considered unfilmable because so much of it revolves on internal dialogue, politics, intrigue and other small elements. It is, in my thinking, the kind of ideal show for a premium cable network as it really does require the length of time to tell the tale and dig into the expansive cast. I actually began re-reading the books once again this year, something I seem to do every seven years or so, and am in the midst of Children of Dune so that I can get to my favorite of the core four with God Emperor of Dune. I can see how these can be filmed but it requires a kind of reinvention on the previous views of how to do it, moving away from some of the 60′s inspired visuals that populated Jodorowsky and Lynch’s attempts at the project for something a little more, weirdly to say, traditional but with the grand scope.
Plot concept: Set in the distant future, Dune tells the story of Paul Atreides whose family accepts control of the desert planet Arrakis. As the only producer of a highly valuable resource, control of Arrakis is highly contested among the noble families. After Paul and his family are betrayed, the story explores themes of politics, religion, and man’s relationship to nature as Paul leads a rebellion to restore his family’s control of Arrakis.
