Since sad boys in space are all the rage nowadays *cough* Kylo Ren *cough* it’s time we herald a pioneering extraterrestrial brooder’s return when “Dune” hits theaters later this year.
Notoriously difficult to adapt despite many ill-fated attempts, Frank Herbert’s 1965 sci-fi totem is headed back to the big screen from ″Blade Runner 2049″ director Denis Villeneuve with a stacked cast, including Timothée Chalamet, Josh Brolin, Zendaya, Oscar Issac and Rebecca Ferguson.
The first look at the upcoming adaptation arrived on Monday via Vanity Fair featuring Chalamet as the central hero Paul Atreides, darkly strolling the shores of the planet Caladan.
This is where Paul’s journey begins ― before he’s shipped off to the planet Arrakis, where his family has inherited the responsibility of overseeing the dangerous desert planet’s production of a valuable spice called melange.
Before long, he finds himself at the center of an intergalactic power struggle against the rival family House Harkonnen.
Chalamet said he was drawn to the character because he takes the road less traveled when it comes to pop culture heroes.
“The immediately appealing thing about Paul was the fact that in a story of such detail and scale and world-building, the protagonist is on an anti-hero’s journey of sorts,” the actor said.
“Dune” was written more than a decade before the first “Star Wars” film hit theaters, but fans couldn’t help but point out the physical similarities between Chalamet’s character and Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren.
Note the sorrowful countenance and penchant for sweeping black robes:
Villeneuve previously described “Dune” as “Star Wars for adults.”
“Most of the main ideas of Star Wars are coming from Dune so it’s going to be a challenge to [tackle] this,” the director told Fandom. “The ambition is to do the Star Wars movie I never saw. In a way, it’s Star Wars for adults. We’ll see.”
“Dune” is still scheduled to hit theaters on Dec. 18, though many other movies have shifted release dates because of coronavirus-related delays.
Villeneuve told Vanity Fair that members of the international crew who worked on the film are like “family to me.”
“‘Dune’ was made by people from all over the world. Many of these people are like family to me, and they’re very much in my thoughts,” he said. “I’m so proud to showcase their hard work. I look forward to a time when we can all get together again as ‘Dune’ was made to be seen on the big screen.”
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