If you were in charge of casting for a new Dune movie and had as much money as required, whom would you cast in each of the major roles?
For the record, my choices would be:
This is a whoosh right? That’s the worst casting possible for Dune.
Ashton Kutcher? Really? He belongs in one role, and one role only: Kelso, because he didn’t need to act in order to play that part.
Christina Ricci? You do remember that Alia is never more than 4 years old in Dune? Unless you’re already plotting the sequels.
The rest…speechless.
Sorry, maybe that was a little harsh…
It’s just that screen adaptations of Dune to this point have been so disappointing, I don’t want another crappy one.
That’s why the casting should be… untraditional. If they can turn adults into hobbits, they can easily turn Ricci into a little girl – and she has exactly the sort of intense, disturbing eyes needed for Alia. Ashton Kutcher is an unusual choice, but I selected him specifically because he has the sort of distant, dreamy quality Paul needs; the last thing you want is a traditional “action hero” for the role. I deliberately chose people you’d never in a million years think of in those roles, but who have some quirk which will actually bring something interesting to the role.
I’d go for most of your casting (esp. EJO finally NOT playing tough latino guy) buy AK no f***ing way. Toby Mcguire would be better, even if bad.
Well, you’re definitely right about that one. I never in a million years would think of Ashton Kutcher as Paul Atreides, but that’s because he’s a horrible actor.
Bad actors can work well if they’re cast properly. Think William Shatner as James T. Kirk. I’ve always thought of Paul as being sort of dreamy and not-quite-there. Toby Mcguire could do it, but Ashton is better (or worse). I’d say Keanu Reeves for the same reason, but sadly he has acquired some acting skills along the way.
Paul Atreides – Steven Straight
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1711829/
Will have to think about the others. I saw this guy in Sky High as Warren Peace. He can act, which sort of beats out Kutchner and can play intensity when all around him are being silly, and not even look out of place.
Shatner is not a bad actor. If you look at him in other things you will realize his range is really big. He played what he was supposed to in Star Trek
The thing is that if Asthon is in, I’m out; end of story.
JD from Scrubs?
I’m sorry, I think most of the OP’s choices are far out in left field. I have to think they must be a joke, or a whoosh, or something. I’ll give him Olmos, because I love the guy. Other than that?
Salma Hayek as Jessica? No way. Jessica is a redhead. I picture someone like Alicia Witt. She’s 34, so in the first Dune book, she could be old enough to have a 15 year old son. She’s also beautiful and projects an air of intelligence.
Vladimir Harkonnen played by Jack Nicholson? Again, no way. Too campy, not enough real, degenerate evil. He’s also supposed to be grossly obese, and I can’t imagine Nicholson in a fat suit being very effective.
Dwayne Johnson as Feyd Rautha? He’s supposed to be slinky and lithe, not buff and hulking. He was played by Sting in the Lynch movie, one of the only things about that movie that was sound IMO.
You do realize that Gaius Helen Mohiam is Jessica’s biological mother, so there’s no way she could be credibly played by Whoopi Goldberg. Helen Mirren, playing Alicia Witt’s mother, now that I could see.
Lady Jessica – Christina Ricci < Here
Duke Leto Atreides – Johnny Depp
Lady Jessica – Christina Ricci < Here (Although I like Rubystreak’s too)
Paul Atreides – Steven Straight
Gaius Helen Mohiam-Helen Mirren
Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen- Tom Fenton (Draco Malfoy
Baron Vladimir Harkonnen-Vincent Pastore or Vincent D’Onofrio
Alia Atreides-I don’t know that for the first movie you need much more than a regular set of twins.
I like the casting in Dune by and large. Only egregious mistake was Thufir Hawat, but he didn’t play a big role in the film. Aren’t mentats supposed to be assassins? The guy looked like an avuncular shopkeeper. Brad Dourif wasn’t a great choice either, but I guess that’s just how Lynch visualised the mentats.
The baron was played for laughs, so I guess a lot of people aren’t happy with that casting. I preferred Kenneth MacMillan’s baron in the film to Ian MacNiece in the tv series, miles too camp for the role. A fat Brian Cox might put more substance into the Baron.
I was happy with Kyle Maclauchlan as Paul, don’t know if that is a popular view. He seemed the perfect age, really captured the heir to the throne, nascent power dimension of the character.
Sting was a good casting for Feyd looks wise, but he’s a poor actor. Again, seemed a diminished role in the film when he’s important in the book IIRC. Someone who looks like Sting but can act would fit the bill here. Can’t think of anyone right now.
Furlibusea’s suggestion of Johnny Depp for Duke Leto is really good.
Phillip Seymour Hoffman would make a decent Baron.
I’d love to see Tim Curry as the Baron. I think he could pull it off.
I agree with Busy Scissors. The cast for the movie was one of the things that I liked. I agree that the mentats were weird but they were supposed to be weird. the movie simply didn’t make it clear why they were like that.
Mentats weren't just assassins. They were the war councillors for their respective lords. Thufir may have been fat and avuncular, but he was a player in the Great Game of politics and intrigue. And poor thufir was way old.The Mentats were not primarily assassins; they were trained to be human computers, since true computers were forbidden after the Butlerian Jihad. This made them excellent counsellors and advisors, since they had logical minds and strong problem solving skills. Pitr DeVries (Harkonnen’s mentat, played by Brad Dourif) was generally accepted to be a corrupt and twisted individual. Thufir Hawat was not a bodyguard in the physical sense, but in the political sense - his function was to warn the Atreides-in-command when he was about to do something idiotic.
I read Dune just after it came out. Just this summer I decided to re-read it & complete Herbert’s series. (Knowing to avoid the stuff his son wrote.) Toward the end of Children of Dune, I’ve finally admitted that I just don’t care for the writing. I’ll continue if I can find good used copies but don’t feel like springing for new ones.
I wish David Lynch had been allowed to complete the film he envisioned & continue with the series, as was the plan. Even the Dune we saw has some flashes of excellence. The books? Great ideas but a bit flat & awkward in execution.
You realize that she’s already been in a Dune movie, right?