Screen Junkies » Dune

Paramount Loses Shot At The Elusive “Remake” As ‘Dune’ Rights Expire

Penn Collins — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 21:24:01 +0000

Everything you know is wrong. A Hollywood studio was not able to create a remake out of something. Read that sentence again. The end is nigh.

Paramount, after holding rights to the sci-fi book series Dune for four years, saw their option lapse today as they were unable to to turn a book into a movie. There was even precedence with a 1984 feature adaptation flop. This does NOT bode well for the Daredevil reboot.

The failure to get the movie made didn’t appear to be for lack of effort on Paramount’s part. Their first-choice director, Peter Berg, dropped out to do Battleship (read: more money), and they thought they were tracking well with Taken helmer Pierre Morel and a script that was able to condense much of the rambling story. Alas, the studio had a hard time with the projected $100 million budget, and that seemed to be a dealbreaker.

However, should the party to which the rights reverted, Richard Rubinstein, decide to use Paramount’s script at some point, the studio might be able to get some of that pre-development cash back. Light a candle for lowly Paramount. (Deadline)

Paramount Desperate for ‘Dune’ Director

Jame Gumb — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 06:05:37 +0000

With a spring deadline looming on its option for the sci-fi classic, Dune, Paramount is in a mad dash to secure a director and set a start date for production. If the studio is not “absolutely confident” in the project by early 2011, it will lose its right to the film.

While Pierre Morel (Taken) was slated to direct, this has apparently fallen through, although he is still attached as a producer. Prediction: David Lynch will return to direct the remake. Second prediction: the part of the giant sand-worm thing will be played by Zach Galifianakis. (Deadline via First Showing)

Pierre Morel to Direct ‘Dune’

Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Taken‘s Pierre Morel has been hired by Paramount to direct the upcoming adaptation of Dune. Morel, who also directed the upcoming John Travolta as Mr. Clean biopic From Paris, With Love, is looking to stay faithful to Frank Herbert’s 1965 book and is in search for a writer that can help bring that to pass. This will be the third adaptation of Dune brought to the screen. And probably the first to involve parkour.

Peter Berg was originally attached but left in order to adapt Milton Bradley’s Battleship into a feature film about sailor fighting aliens. Uh-huh. Right. I guess Stephen Sommers was indisposed. (EW)