Sigh...Dune movie back to square one

Peter Berg who was set to direct the movie has moved on to direct a movie adaptation of the board game battleship. A new director, Pierre Morel, will direct the new Dune movie but he will completely rewrite Berg's script. So we can expect a new Dune movie in...3 years!! ARGG!!!!!! SFF Media

"We're starting from scratch," said Morel. "Peter had an approach which was not mine at all, and we're starting over again. I don't think we're going to keep any elements of the Peter Berg script. It was good, actually. It was interesting. It was just not our vision. I can't tell you right now [who's writing it with me], it's going to be official next week. The deals are not done!"[...]

"Dune is such a huge, huge project," he enthused. "It's big, it's challenging, it's long-term -- we're only starting. We have to rewrite the script; we have to develop a whole universe. It's going to be a long thing, so who knows. But I'm passionate about Dune so I'd love to do it next."[...]

Everybody now who reads Dune reads it with David Lynch's images in mind," he said. "So we have to get away from that. It's not a remake of David Lynch's movie. We're doing a re-reading, a brand new approach on the book, a very true approach to the book, the original material. So we will have to deal with trying to erase the image that David Lynch did so we can propose our image.".

Am I the only person who liked David Lynch's Dune? True it wasn't loyal to plot of the novel but I liked how he fused 18th century decor with future technology and gave us a glimpse into the character's thoughts. Plus when I read the novels I don't have Lynch's images in my mind.

Man I really hope they don't screw the movie up but I have a feeling they will.

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No islamic landmarks were harmed in the making of 2012

In the upcoming Hollywood movie 2012, about the end of the world, the writers have declined to include any scenes where any islamic landmark would be destroyed. But they have included many scenes where other religious landmarks are destroyed, such as a Buddhist temple, the Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Basilica, and Rio de Janeiro's iconic Christ the Reedemer.

One writer wanted to include a scene where the Kaba is destroyed but his co-writer pussied out because he didn't want a Fatwa on his head.

From Cinematical

"Well, I wanted to do that, I have to admit ... but my co-writer Harald said I will not have a fatwa on my head because of a movie. And he was right. ... We have to all ... in the Western world ... think about this. You can actually ... let ... Christian symbols fall apart, but if you would do this with [an] Arab symbol, you would have ... a fatwa, and that sounds a little bit like what the state of this world is. So it's just something which I kind of didn't [think] was [an] important element anyway in the film, so I kind of left it out."

Wasn't an important element in the film? The whole movie is about the violent end of the world.

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Peter Berg to direct new Dune movie

Teh awesomeness. Of course I credit Report on Arrakis for the renewed interest in Frank Herbert's Dune.

I'm curious how Peter Berg will deal with the religious fanatic jihadis of the book. Sci Fi Wire

Frank Herbert's sci-fi novel Dune—which spawned five sequels in Herbert's lifetime and prequels after his death—has been problematic for filmmakers, but that's not stopping director Peter Berg from developing a new movie he plans to direct.

Director David Lynch famously had problems adapting the sprawling book in 1984. Syfy's 2000 miniseries adaptation did a bit better in terms of audience and critical reception, but Berg feels there's still room for a new feature film.

"I think I had a much more different experience, I think, with the book than David Lynch did," Berg said in an exclusive interview on last week at the Television Critics Association summer press tour in Pasadena, Calif., where he was promoting his Wayne Gretzky documentary for ESPN. "To me, I think my interpretation will feel significantly different from that and the [Syfy] Channel miniseries that aired. I have a different experience than both of those filmmakers did."

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Portman lined up for Thor

Natalie Portman as Thor's Squeeze ? Oh man ! this movie better not suck !

The Straits Times
LOS ANGELES - NATALIE Portman has been lined up to play the love interest of Thor in a movie based on the hammer-wielding Marvel comics superhero, it was reported on Monday.

Portman, 28, whose previous credits include a trio of Star Wars prequels and 2008's The Other Boleyn Girl, will play Jane Foster in the upcoming production, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

Up-and-coming Australian actor Chris Hemsworth had already been confirmed in the lead role while Tom Hiddleston will play Loki, the villainous god of mischief.

Thor is one of several Marvel characters to make their way onto the big screen, following adaptations of iconic superheroes such as Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk, and Iron Man. -- AFP

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Transformers 2 takes number of digs at President Obama?

I haven't seen Transformers 2 yet but according to Buuuuurrrrning Hot the movie apparently takes a few digs at President Obama. Wanring the link contains spoilers.

H/T: Scott

P.S. For those of you who have seen the movie is worth it to go see it at the theater?

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Heller looking for movie version of 'Rome'

I sure hope this pans out. I'm a huge fan of the tv series which ended way too early. For those of you who haven't seen this show I suggest you go to blockbuster and rent the first and second season of Rome. Awesome show. the Live feed

Bruno Heller says he wants to produce a theatrical wrap-up to his critically beloved and prematurely canceled HBO drama "Rome."

"There is talk of doing a movie version," he said. "It's moving along. It's not there until it is there. I would love to round that show off."

The lavish period drama ran for two seasons on HBO, which co-produced the series with the BBC. With the final season of "The Sopranos" as its lead-in, the first season was solidly rated. But the show's hefty $100 million production cost presented the network with a tough call on the pickup. HBO opted for a second season to help get more value from its initial investment but not a third, effectively canceling the show in summer 2006 before the second season debuted the following January. The "Rome" sets were destroyed, and the actors were released from their contracts, making the network's decision all but irreversible.

But season 2 of "Rome" was a surprise. Although slightly lower rated than the first, the show did much better than HBO expected without its "Sopranos" lead-in (averaging roughly 6.5 million viewers, nearly the same as "True Blood"). Plus it won awards, which is important to a pay network that attracts subscribers by offering premium programming: Post-cancellation, the first season received four Emmy Awards, and then another seven Emmys were heaped upon the final season.

Suddenly "Rome" was a Greek tragedy: a successful show with no future. The broadcast nets quickly snatched up the show's leads for top fall pilots.

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Iranian Actress Not Allowed to Leave Iran

Golshifteh Farahani, an Iranian actress, will be starring next to Leonardo DiCaprio in Body of Lies this fall. Once the official trailor came out, someone in Iran noticed that Farahani wasn't wearing a hijab. So when Farahani wanted to travel abroad Iranian officials refused to let her go. Guardian

An Iranian actor has been barred from leaving Iran after closely guarded details emerged of her starring role with Leonardo DiCaprio in a forthcoming Hollywood spy thriller about a hunt for an al-Qaida leader.

Golshifteh Farahani was told by officials that she was not allowed to travel when she tried to board a flight at Tehran's Imam Khomeini airport. She is believed to have been bound for the US to discuss future film roles. Farahani, 25, recently finished filming her Hollywood debut film, Body of Lies, directed by Ridley Scott, which is due to be released by Warner Brothers on October 10.

Her role in the thriller had been widely rumoured among Iranian cinema aficionados, but only became common knowledge after the Internet Movie Database website posted the film's cast and official trailer. The trailer includes a shot of Farahani, apparently without hijab, standing behind DiCaprio. Her appearance was reported by the newspaper Etemad.

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