BANG Showbiz English
Denis Villeneuve says ‘Dune‘ might not have been made if Timothee Chalamet hadn’t agreed to play Paul Atreides.
The 53-year-old director’s adaptation of Frank Herbert’s sci-fi classic sees the 25-year-old actor portray the leading role, and the filmmaker has admitted they had no “Plan B” when it came to casting another actor as the character.
Speaking to Total Film magazine, Denis spilled: “We said, ‘It’s Timothee [Chalamet].’ We didn’t have a Plan B. Honestly, if he had said no, I don’t know what I would have done. There would be no ‘Dune’, maybe.”
Meanwhile, co-writer Eric Roth recently teased that the upcoming movie will be “spectacular”.
The 76-year-old screenwriter contributed to the script and found his experience on the project, which features an ensemble cast, also including Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Zendaya, Jason Momoa, and Dave Bautista, to be “wonderful”.
Eric said: “(Working on ‘Dune’) was wonderful. I’d done some work for Denis on ‘Arrival’ and we became kind of soulmates. And so when ‘Dune’ came along, he asked me if I would approach it.
“And I did, and I wrote a big, full, overwritten Eric Roth draft that had certain things special to me. It needed to be, honestly, cut down and sort of harnessed, and Denis did some of that, and they eventually brought in a writer named Jon Spaiths, who is a wonderful writer, who I think kept it grounded.
“But I think it’s really pretty spectacular. He’s a visionary of his own kind, Denis.”
Eric also confirmed that ‘Dune’ – which was adapted for the big screen by David Lynch in 1984 – only takes inspiration from the first half of Herbert’s book.
He said: “It’s completely the first half. Yeah. I didn’t know when we started, so I think I adapted a little more than the first half and started going into the second half of the book. But I’ve seen the film, it’s pretty much the first half.”
Roth has written a “treatment” based on the second half of the novel, but he’s keen to move on to other projects in the future.
LINK LOVE
 |  |  |
| Things are ‘not good’ in Justin & Hailey Bieber’s marriage these days? (Celebitchy) | Martin Kove is the latest older male actor to use humor to excuse the inexcusable (Pajiba) | Well done, Jodie Comer (Go Fug Yourself) |
 |  |  |
| OMG, Cardi B debuts new cover for ‘Am I The Drama!?’ (OMG Blog) | Best in Show 25th-anniversary reunion goes to the dogs (Boy Culture) | Luca Van Assche on the grass (Kenneth in the 212) |
HOT DEALS
Apple AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation
AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation featuring a totally transformed audio experience with Adaptive Audio and Transparency mode, and an updated fit for all-day comfort. [Walmart]
New Balance Gender Inclusive Made in USA 990v6 Sneaker
A best-selling runner keeps up the pace as a crossover street sneaker sporting the performance cushioning and streamlined profile that have maintained its status as an all-time winner. [Nordstrom Rack]
Like most websites, Socialite Life uses affiliate links where available, which means we earn a little commission if you click through and buy something. Also, as Amazon Influencers, we earn from qualifying purchases. Savings shown are those from the date and time of this article’s publication.
