After four years and at least two attached directors, the attempt to bring Dune – Frank Hebert’s science fiction classic (and first of a series) – to the big screen again have crumbled, reports Deadline Hollywood. Both Peter Berg and Pierre Morel were attached to direct during the course of development. Deadline’s story features a hopeful producer, and (at least) a $100 Million dollar plus price tag for the film. The film was in development at Paramount, and is now looking for a new production house.

For the first filmed version, Dune was to be directed by Alejandro (El Topo) Jodorowsky for producer Dino De Laurentiis, but in the 1980′s  the project moved to Ridley Scott and then finally David Lynch, who did the film instead of Return of the Jedi. With all of the backstory and messianic implications, the finished film turned out beautiful but hard to follow – so much so there was a booklet distributed at some screenings to help clarify the characters and their relationships.

The film has since gained a cult following, but the narrative seemed impenetrable in a feature-length narrative. Such may be why Lynch’s footage was turned into a mini-series (albeit done without his consent) for later television broadcasts, and a TV mini-series was made of the material in 2000 for the-then Sci Fi Channel. Other than being shot by the legendary cinematographer Vittorio Storaro, it is not all that notable, but did lead to a sequel mini-series, “Children of Dune.”

The appeal of the source material is that it’s a rich science fiction universe, and generated numbers of sequel books, meaning that if the first film worked it would be easy to get going on the next. And the studios are currently very invested in the franchise business. The problem is that the story of Dune is a hard to condense, and in the four years since this got started the industry has had more heat in comic books than in Science Fiction and Fantasy – with a number of would-be Tolkein-type films dying at the box office.

The other problem is that it’s near-impossible to do this sort of film on the cheap. From space adventure to gigantic worms, the story of Dune is cut from a very large cloth, and there’s no point in doing it without that scale. Berg may have been solid, passionate choice, but the second Pierre Morel got attached the project was doomed. Nothing against Morel, but he was coming in after Taken, which made a lot of money but was a fluke (as his next film attested).

We may yet see Dune again on the big screen, but it would take a deeply interested party with a strong vision, and someone who can command a budget.

Is Dune dead, or just waiting for another go?

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The two standout movies coming out this week are both love stories. The first is director Lasse Hallstrom’s adaptation of Nicholas Sparks‘ newest bestseller, Dear John. The man who wrote The Notebook, brings us the story a young soldier named John Tyree (Channing Tatum) and his one true love Savannah (Amanda Seyfried). The pair have good on screen chemistry and are not bad to look at. I definitely think this movie will be number 1 this week.

The other movie worth watching is Pierre Morel‘s film From Paris With Love. This isn’t a love story in the traditional sense, although it is about the love one man has for action. It stars John Travolta as a bad ass Agent and Jonathan Rhys Meyers.

Complete list of movie reviews and trailers for this week after the jump…

• Dear John | Reviews | Tickets and Showtimes
• From Paris With Love | Screencrave Review | Reviews | Tickets and Showtimes
• Terribly Happy | ScreenCrave Review | Reviews | Tickets and Showtimes
• Frozen | Reviews | Tickets and Showtimes
• District 13: Ultimatum | Reviews | Tickets and Showtimes

Watch the trailers…

Dear John:

From Paris With Love

from_paris_with_love_2.mp4

Terribly Happy

[youtube.com qsslA308XV8 570 420]

Frozen

District 13: Ultimatum

Do you think Dear John is going to be as big a hit as Sparks’ last novel-made-to-movie epic, The Notebook?

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Yesterday we brought you news that Pierre Morel had been tapped to take on the big screen remake of the sci-fi property Dune, and now a new trailer has been released for his latest film. From Paris With Love stars a very bald John Travolta and a confused Jonathan Rhys Meyers, in an action ode to the eighties. On the surface the movie doesn’t look any different from what we’re used to seeing, but this trailer tries to set it apart.

From Paris With Love centers on a low ranking intelligence officer (Meyers) working in France at the U.S. Ambassador’s office. He bites off more than he can chew when he’s paired up with a high ranking, wise-cracking, over the top senior agent, who is played by an over the top John Travolta.

I like senseless violence from time to time, but this movie tries too hard to be in your face with it. Correction, John Travolta tries too hard to be in your face. The actor is selling his character as a ticking time bomb, with his Tony Stark goatee, and gold hoop earring. Sometimes subtlety is your friend John.

Here’s the latest trailer from the film that stole one minute and 14 seconds I can never get back…

From Paris With Love hits theaters on February 5, 2010.

What do you think of the second trailer for Pierre Morel’s latest film? Are you interested in seeing it?

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Breaking news has just been released regarding the unwanted remake of the sci-fi film, Dune. After director Peter Berg jumped ship last October, Paramount was put in the uncomfortable situation. The film was left in limbo until they could find someone to properly take over the project, and according to Entertainment Weekly they have.

Sources are stating that Pierre Morel will take on directing duties for the Dune remake after Peter Berg decided to concentrate on his adaptation of Battleship. With a new director on board, a new vision will be implemented for the film. Morel plans on staying extremely faithful to the original 1965 book by Frank Herbert from which the Dune series was based. Paramount will also take the necessary steps to make the transition from Berg easier by incorporating Morel’s vision with the script that was already written by Quantum of Solace scribe Josh Zetumer.

Morel is best known for his sleeper hit Taken, that featured Liam Neeson as a vigilante father seeking justice for his kidnapped daughter. For him to make the leap from that to a highly coveted sci-fi fantasy film will be an interesting move on his part. Many people weren’t fond of the Dune remake when Berg was attached, so lets see how the tide changes once Morel’s name gets out there.

Do you think Morel has what it takes to pull off Dune?

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Universal Pictures has signed Pierre Morel (Taken) to direct Pursuit, a thriller based on the early career of photographer Jason Howe, who slowly fell in love with a Columbian girl-turned-assassin while he was on assignment as a photojournalist. As of the moment, the studio is still searching for a screenwriter.

On March 6, 2008, Howe wrote an article about his real life experience in The Independent (here is an excerpt from the article):

“She then hit me with a confession that would both thrill and confuse me. She explained that in the months that I had been away in Iraq her role within the AUC had changed; she had joined the urban militia and become an assassin. Her job was now to eliminate informers and traitors. So far, she told me, she had killed at least 10 people in the area. I lit a cigarette and inhaled deeply, Marylin looked at me through the smoke as I exhaled, waiting to see how I would respond to what she had just told me.”

According to Variety, Morel was a photographer long before he became a director and was drawn to Howe’s photography. He then became compassionate about Howe’s real life dilemma and decided to make it a film:

“There is the sentimental side of a man in love, and a journalist trying not to become involved in the story he is covering.”

The story is almost too good to be true, but with Morel at the helm, a great thriller might be possible because the amazing story is there. As for Taken, the news is Morel is trying to come up with a sequel (surprise, surprise).

What do you think about Pursuit?

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