Dune is a world I like to visit again and again. I've landed a sweet gig as a delivery driver, so as I'm going around I listen to an unabridged copy of Dune.
It got me to thinking, if tellyland was interested in doing a show like game of thrones, then dune really ought to be up for the same treatment. You have conspiracy, backstabbing, gay sex (with a lot of murder), various sweeping vista's, from the oceans of Caladan, the palace planet of Kaitain, the factory of Giedi Prime, the crystal caves of Ix, oh, and the desert of Arrakis.
Sorry, there's no dragons or zombies/white walkers. There are sandworms though, and whilst they are not prominent in the first book, there are these biological weapons called face dancers.
Anyway, if you haven't heard of dune by now, then this is not for you. I just thought it'd be fun to hear people's suggestions for who'd be suitable for playing the characters in this show.
So, in no particular order:
Baron Valdimir Harkonnen: Should be played by John Goodman. He's old enough, his voice is deep enough, and if you haven't seen him in community, playing the vice principle/head of the air conditioning wing, you need to see him. . Plus, just look at him in the big Lebowski. The baron is not as melodramatic, but he is a nasty evil piece of festering shit.
Paul Atradies: Should be played by Jack Gleeson. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0322416/?ref_=tt_cl_t18 Now, at the start of the story, Paul Atradies is 15 years old, but Jack looks youthful enough. I haven't seen him in anything else but game of thrones, where he was King Geoffrey, but I can't think of anyone right now to play him. Paul is an interesting, and challenging character. Now, at first glance, if you were to watch the movie, you'd be forgiven for thinking he's the good guy. But, Paul Atradies (later Paul Mua'dib, the mouse that leads the way) is the catalyst for the most brutal genocidal rampage seen since the buterlian Jihad.
Duncan Idaho: should be played by Lennie James: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0416694/?ref_=tt_cl_t8 Lennie James is a damn good, serious actor. He's played DCI Tony Gates in the line of duty (which if you haven't seen it, is a detective thriller with enough plot twists to leave you guessing right to the end) Failing that, could I have Adrian Lester? http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0504412/?ref_=tt_cl_t4 He was in a show called hustle, where he was the mastermind con-man in a group of grifters. Duncan Idaho is described as a dark man. Now, I don't know if Dark refers to complexion, or temperament, but he's a refugee of the Harkonnen's, escaped from a hunt by the beast Rabban, and becomes one of the legendary swordmaster of Ginaz. Because it's a role that demands a damn good martial artist, Wesley Snipes would be suitable for it. Thing is, I just don't know if I could take him as seriously. Then again, some of Wesley's joviality (I keep thinking of the character Simon Phoenix, where he's a fantastic villain) wouldn't be terribly amiss. After all, great actors can take a character and make them their own. Christopher Lee playing Saruman (is that how it's spelt?) in the hobbit film transformed it into a far more significant character than originally portrayed in that story.
Pieter de Vries: Please please please be played by Steve Buscemi http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000114/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1 the guy has experience playing weird looking psychopaths (look at the role he plays in Con Air, Garland Greene). Pieter de Vries is a twisted mentat, grown in some diabolical vat by the bene tilaxeau, corrupted to serve the Baron's fiendish plots.
Wellington Yueh: The suk doctor who gets corrupted by Pieter de Vries into playing the role of traitor, orchestrating the downfall of house Atradies. I think Brad Dourif ( http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000374/?ref_=nv_sr_1 ) would be an excellent choice to play this role. Brad Dourif, who normally plays creepy villains (and was Pieter de Vries in the 1984 Dune) has potential to play a character who I sympathise with. In the game, dishonoured, he plays the voice of Pierro Joplin, who's a rather helpful inventor who you befriend in the game. I hope, if it was to become reality, that Brad would be interested in playing this character, I can't think of anyone I'd like to see more playing the traitor doctor.
Lady Jessica: This might be an unorthodox choice, as she's a comedic actor, but I really, really like Rose Keegan ( http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0444451/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_t18 ). For a start, she has a regal sounding voice, she's naturally ginger, which Lady Jessica is, and I think, having grown up in sandhurst, she has a lot of personal experience which would be very, very compatible with the Bene Gessirit/Jesuit school.
Chani (Kynes): I wish Natalie Portman was younger ( http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000204/?ref_=tt_cl_t3 ) because she's who'd I'd pick to play Chani. If any of you can think of a better suggestion, lemme know.
Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen: Jeremy Shada ( http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1660179/?ref_=tt_cl_t1 ). He plays the voice of Fin in adventure time. I'd wanna see him play Feyd-Rautha, because he's a bastard, and, in the eyes of the Baron "beautiful Feyd, lovely Feyd". I am open for better suggestions. I've never seen him act, only heard his voice.
It's all I can think of for now. I can't think of anyone suitable to play Emperor Shaddam Corrino, or the Count Hasimir Fenring (apart from Duncan Idaho, my personal favourite character.) I've been listening to the story, and Hasimir and Lady Margot have a humming code and whilst they are very serious, nasty characters, their humming code is so fun to parody.
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