# Dream cast for "Dune" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 13, 2009, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dream-cast-for-dune/502814 "2009-07-13T01:57:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dream-cast-for-dune/502814/41 "2009-07-14T17:48:13Z")
Popping in to throw in my 2 cents: How about Danny Trejo as Stilgar? Any reason that wouldn’t work? ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dream-cast-for-dune/502814/42 "2009-07-14T18:19:52Z")
# Duke Leto Atreides – Johnny Depp # Lady Jessica – Johnny Depp # Paul Atreides – Johnny Depp # Alia Atreides – Johnny Depp # Baron Vladimir Harkonnen – Johnny Depp # Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen – Johnny Depp # Gaius Helen Mohiam – Johnny Depp It might just work! ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dream-cast-for-dune/502814/43 "2009-07-14T20:19:45Z")
**kelly5078** said: > [@](#): > > A few of the performances in Lynch’s version kind of suck, especially Everett McGill’s and Jurgen Prochnow’s. And, of course, the reimagining of the Harkonnens takes a bit of getting used to. But overall I think it was cast superbly. I don’t recall those being a problem. If you want a miscast, try the miniseries version with John Hurt as Duke Leto. John Hurt! This guy is so drab that the scene were Duke Leto is supposed to be furious that the Harkonnen’s tried to kill Paul is completely unbelievable. He does not convey anger at all. (As an aside, I was completely shocked by his role in Hulk 2, not only because he was hard to recognize, but because that role actually had dynamic range I hadn’t seen from John Hurt before.) **SmashTheState** said: > [@](#): > > Again, I don’t think it’s necessary to mimic the book exactly. That was the biggest problem with the Lynch version, the failure to mimic the book enough. That, and trying to cram a 700+ (???) page novel into a 2 hour movie. **Argent Towers** said: > [@](#): > > I am so, so, SO sick of Johnny Depp. All he does anymore is play Johnny Depp. For the past four years or so he’s just been playing Johnny Depp. Not just the last 4 years. **Lynn Bodoni** said: > [@](#): > > The whole movie required the viewer to be very, very familiar with Dune (the book) in order to make sense. This! I watched it the first time not having a clue what was going on. I pieced it together to some extent, but never really felt connected to it. ---
**Author:** ![Mrs.Cake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2acd7d/32.png) [@Mrs.Cake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mrs.Cake)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dream-cast-for-dune/502814/44 "2009-07-14T20:30:37Z")
On the other hand, you can never go wrong with an all-muppet cast: Paul - Kermit Chani - Miss Piggy Baron Harkonnen - Fozzie Bear Thufir Hawat - Bert Piter DeVries - Ernie Rev Mother - The Great Gonzo (in drag, of course) etc ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dream-cast-for-dune/502814/45 "2009-07-14T20:37:39Z")
> [@Mrs.Cake](#): > > On the other hand, you can never go wrong with an all-muppet cast: > > Paul - Kermit > Chani - Miss Piggy > Baron Harkonnen - Fozzie Bear > Thufir Hawat - Bert Isn’t a mentat a human computer? So, obviously, Thufir would be the Count! ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dream-cast-for-dune/502814/46 "2009-07-14T21:29:13Z")
> [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](#): > > # Duke Leto Atreides – Johnny Depp > > # Lady Jessica – Johnny Depp > > # Paul Atreides – Johnny Depp > > # Alia Atreides – Johnny Depp > > # Baron Vladimir Harkonnen – Johnny Depp > > # Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen – Johnny Depp > > # Gaius Helen Mohiam – Johnny Depp > > It might just work! Have the female characters played by Eddie Murphy, Tyler Perry, and Eddie Izzard. On second thought, Eddie Izzard is the Baron Harkonnen. He reclaims Arrakis for himself by bringing a flag. ---
**Author:** ![Rubystreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Rubystreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubystreak)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dream-cast-for-dune/502814/47 "2009-07-15T02:07:57Z")
> [@Raguleader](#): > > ``` > Popping in to throw in my 2 cents: How about Danny Trejo as Stilgar? Any reason that wouldn't work? > > ``` Let’s just have an all-Latin cast: Salma Hayek as Jessica, EJ Olmos as Leto, Trejo as Stilgar, Maria Conchita Alonso as Gaius Helen Mohiam, Horatio Sanz as Baron Harkonnen. Why not? > [@SmashTheState](#): > > I don’t think hair colour need be identical. And Salma Hayek combines exotic beauty with actual acting skills. Alicia Witt can act and actually resembles the character as described in the book. It’s not that the hair color needs to be identical, it’s that the actor should somewhat resemble the character as described by the author of the book. > [@](#): > > Jack Nicholson is an avid Bush-supporter and an arch-conservative. He doesn’t have to act “pure, degenerate evil,” he already IS. Wow, totally irrelevant to my point, which is that Nicholson in a fat suit would be ridiculous. I couldn’t give less of a damn about his politics. > [@](#): > > Again, I don’t think it’s necessary to mimic the book exactly. Dwayne Johnson has the necessary presence to realistically portray the sort of physical menace that Feyd is supposed to have. Anyway, there aren’t many actors who have the sort of Bruce Lee whipcord build you’re talking about. Sure there are. Dwayne Johnson is totally wrong for Feyd Rautha. He and Paul have a very close fight at the end of the novel, and are pretty evenly matched, physically. Both have a muscular build, and it’s not that hard to find. I don’t think prana bindu training would produce a Dwayne Johnson. > [@](#): > > If you have Salma Hayek playing Jessica, she’s dark-skinned enough to make Whoopi Goldberg a realistic possibility. So you’re suggesting that the child of Jack Nicholson and Whoopi Goldberg would be Salma Hayek? Can I have some of whatever you’re smoking? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dream-cast-for-dune/502814/48 "2009-07-15T04:18:04Z")
Ok, take this: Lady Jessica …Angelina Jolie Piter De Vries…Steve Buscemi Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV…Jon Voight Shadout Mapes …some weird old lady Thufir Hawat …Kevin Dunn Duncan Idaho …Clive Owen Paul Atreides …Zack Efron Princess Irulan …Scarlet Johannson Reverend Mother Ramallo…Helen Mirren Stilgar…Bruce Willis Baron Vladimir Harkonnen …Philip Seymore Hoffman Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam…Demi Moore Duke Leto Atreides…Gerard Butler The Beast Rabban…Jack Black Gurney Halleck…John Turturro Feyd Rautha …Robert Pattinson Doctor Wellington Yueh …Ewan McGregor Alia …some little girl Chani…Meghan Fox Directed by Michael Bay ---
**Author:** ![Rubystreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Rubystreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubystreak)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dream-cast-for-dune/502814/49 "2009-07-15T04:53:12Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > Ok, take this: I like it, except Helen Mirren should be Gaius Helen Mohiam, because Demi Moore is not old enough to be Angelina Jolie’s mother. And Alia should be played by some Fanning child. Other than that, excellent casting, Mr. Bay. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dream-cast-for-dune/502814/50 "2009-07-15T06:15:43Z")
# Duke Leto Atreides – Walter Matthau # Lady Jessica – Roseanne Barr # Paul Atreides – Pauly Shore # Alia Atreides – Juliette Lewis (she was BORN to play this role) # Baron Vladimir Harkonnen – Mike Myers # Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen – David Spade # Gaius Helen Mohiam – Nancy Cartwright ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dream-cast-for-dune/502814/51 "2009-07-15T08:16:28Z")
Duke Leto Atreides – Elias Koteas Lady Jessica – Deborah Kara Unger Paul Atreides – James Spader Alia Atreides – Holly Hunter Baron Vladimir Harkonnen – John David Carson Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen – Peter MacNeill Gaius Helen Mohiam – Rosanna Arquette ---
**Author:** ![ministryman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@ministryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ministryman)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2009, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dream-cast-for-dune/502814/52 "2009-07-17T15:56:56Z")
> [@SmashTheState](#): > > 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? # Duke Leto Atreides – Sean Connery # Lady Jessica – Charlize Theron # Paul Atreides – Keanu Reeves # Alia Atreides – Miley Cyrus # Baron Vladimir Harkonnen – Charles Durning # Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen – Bruce Dern # Gaius Helen Mohiam – Gates McFadden ---
**Author:** ![ministryman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@ministryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ministryman)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2009, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dream-cast-for-dune/502814/53 "2009-07-17T15:59:18Z")
> [@Rubystreak](#): > > 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.](http://files.myopera.com/Great%20Congo/albums/335739/Alicia%20Witt.jpg) 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. Your choice of Alicia Witt for Jessia would be funny, as she was already in the original Dune movie as Alia (sp?) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dream-cast-for-dune/502814.md?page=2)