Will Dune and Foundation give space opera its Lord of the Rings moment?

Date:
Sat, 21 Aug 2021 13:00:09 +0000

Description:
Hollywood hasn't traditionally embraced classic sci-fi novels but that could be about to change.

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Thanks to its once-every-four-years status, theres always been something a little odd about February 29. The 2004 vintage was even more unconventional than usual, however, because of what happened at that years Academy Awards.

The Return of the King, the third and final movie in Peter Jacksons epic adaptation of JRR Tolkiens The Lord of the Rings, took home a whopping 11 Oscars, equalling a record previously set by Ben-Hur and Titanic. As well as being just the second sequel in history (after The Godfather Part II) to
claim Best Picture, it was particularly notable because the Academy traditionally rather conservative in its tastes had wholeheartedly embraced epic fantasy for the first time.

While the Oscars havent jumped on the high-fantasy wagon train since the closest Best Picture voters have come is Guillermo del Toros fishy love
story, The Shape of Water Peter Jacksons victory was something of a game-changer. Nearly two decades on, big-budget screen versions of epic fantasy novels are commonplace, from the all-conquering Game of Thrones, through to Netflixs The Witcher , Shadow and Bone , and the short-lived
Cursed . Amazons also taking a new shot at Tolkien with an implausibly big-budgeted adventure set during the Second Age of Middle-earth.

Things are rather different, however, in the many worlds of space opera,
where fantasys planet-hopping cousin is still waiting for the sort of Lord of the Rings-type moment that can turn classic novels into big players on
screen.

Theres clearly a huge appetite for space-set action in movies and TV, whether its Star Wars , Guardians of the Galaxy, or one of the numerous Star Trek TV shows whether you want cute green alien sidekicks, bunches of a-holes, or copious amounts of boldly going, youre very well covered.

But when it comes to adaptations of classic science fiction authors SFs answers to JRR Tolkien and George RR Martin Hollywood has a massive blind spot. In fact, at present, The Expanse is the highest profile take on a
series of space-set novels. Best Amazon Prime Video shows How to watch Star Trek in order Best HBO Max movies Foundation is bringing epic space opera to the small screen on Apple TV Plus. (Image credit: Apple TV Plus) No Expanse spared

Amazons take on James SA Coreys book series is brilliant the closest thing
to a new Battlestar Galactica yet its appeal is way too cult to follow Game of Thrones into zeitgeist-grabbing crossover territory. Indeed, The Expanse was cancelled after three seasons by original network Syfy when it didnt attract a big enough audience, leaving Amazon Prime Video to step in and continue the story it doesnt hurt when Jeff Bezos, a man rich enough to take a trip into orbit, is reportedly a fan.

Change may be afoot, however, now that a pair of prestige adaptations of classic sci-fi novels are poised to catapult book-inspired space opera into the mainstream.

Frank Herberts Dune is allegedly the best-selling science fiction novel of
all time, and undoubtedly one of the most influential. Featuring a desert world, a chosen one and an evil dynasty in need of overthrowing, it shares plenty of DNA with Star Wars, yet Dunes association with the screen is rather less glorious. David Lynch (who was once in contention to direct Return of
the Jedi) famously disowned his 1984 adaptation, and though its nowhere near as bad as some make out, you do have to look past some rushed storytelling
and the fact that the effects of the era cant match the ambition of the epic novel. There was also a mini-series made for the Sci-Fi Channel (now Syfy) in the early 21st century.

Dune 2021, however, should see the story given the sort of loving treatment The Lord of the Rings trilogy received under Peter Jacksons watch. At the
helm is Denis Villeneuve, a director with undeniable sci-fi credibility from his work on Arrival and Blade Runner 2049, and hes brought on board a truly A-list cast including Timothe Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Zendaya, Josh Brolin and Stellan Skarsgrd.

Crucially, Warner Bros is throwing serious quantities of cash at the movie, and splitting the book across two films to give the story the chance to breathe. This all adds up to one of the big-hitters of science fiction literature being given the respect it deserves. Theres also an HBO Max TV series spin-off, The Sisterhood , in the works. The Expanse shows how to
bring epic space opera novels to the screen. (Image credit: Amazon) A solid Foundation

By the time Dune lands in cinemas (and HBO Max in the US), well already be several episodes into Foundation on Apple TV Plus. From Servant to The
Morning Show and For All Mankind, Apple has established itself as a destination for big-budget, prestige TV, and its clearly pulling out all the stops to bring Isaac Asimov, one of the godfathers of science fiction, to the screen.

While Foundations cast isnt as high-profile as Dunes the biggest names are Chernobyls Jared Harris and The Hobbits Lee Pace this millennium-spanning tale of a Galactic Empire looks extremely ambitious, with showrunner David S Goyer (Batman Begins, FlashForward) telling The Hollywood Reporter that: Its
a 1,000-year chess game between [Harriss character] Hari Seldon and the Empire, and all the characters in between are the pawns, but some of the
pawns over the course of this saga end up becoming kings and queens.

In other words, Warner and Apple are giving their high-profile SF adaptations every chance to succeed, taking them as seriously as the BBC would a slice of Charles Dickens or Jane Austen. If theyre a success Hollywood will surely
take notice the way they have of fantasy since The Lord of the Rings. This could be the start of an exciting new age for movies and TV, if creatives start to plunder the rich back catalogue of science fiction literature a source of ideas potentially as rich as Marvel and DC Comics.

Now that technology has caught up with imagination, making even the grandest of interstellar action possible on screen, everything is theoretically filmable especially now that television budgets are as big as their movie counterparts. Perhaps were finally entering an era when Iain M Bankss Culture ( which was, until 2020, in development at Amazon ), Peter F Hamiltons Commonwealth Saga, Larry Nivens Ringworld, Joe Haldemans The Forever War (not to be confused with The Tomorrow War ) or Alfred Besters The Stars My Destination could realistically make it to the screen.

Of course, if either Dune or Foundation disappoints, then Hollywood could
just as easily decide theres no market in adapting science fiction novels,
and go back to the tried-and-tested safety net of comic-book action. But at least theyll have given it a go.

Foundation debuts on Apple TV Plus on September 24. Dune is in cinemas (and on HBO Max in the US) from October 22. Best streaming services compared Best Apple TV Plus shows



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/news/will-dune-and-foundation-give-space-opera-its-l ord-of-the-rings-moment/


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