Peter Berg talks Dune

Frank Herbert's Dune novel has always been a tough nut to crack on screen, but the latest brave soul taking a crack at it - Peter Berg - thinks he can bring something fresh.

Chatting with Sci Fi Wire, he outlined why he thought his new attempt could be different.

"I think I had a much more different experience, I think, with the book than David Lynch did," he says.

"To me, I think my interpretation will feel significantly different from that and the miniseries that aired. I have a different experience than both of those filmmakers did."

Strong words given that Lynch's film, while generally seen as a failure, lives on as a cult SF pic and the US TV miniseries managed to pull off something decent despite its comparatively lower budget.

While Lynch focused on politics, Berg says his aim will be to re-imagine the tale as larger-scale adventure.

"[he book was much more muscular and adventurous, more violent and possibly even a little bit more fun.

"I think those are all elements of my experience of the book that can be brought in without offending the die-hard fans of the Bene Gesserit and Kwisatz Haderach. There's a more dynamic film to be made."

Since he's splitting his time between TV projects (including guiding the excellent Friday Night Lights) and getting the Dune script into shape, don't expect the movie to be landing on Arrakis immediately.

[Source: Sci Fi Wire ]

Can he crack it? Should he even try? Let us know your thoughts.

James White is a freelance journalist who has been covering film and TV for over two decades. In that time, James has written for a wide variety of publications including Total Film and SFX. He has also worked for BAFTA and on ODEON's in-cinema magazine.