Peter Berg is Dune-d

Sting enthusiastically embraced his role in the 1984 Dune.

In an interview with MTV Movies, Peter Berg revealed that he’s going to direct a new version of the Frank Herbert sci-fi classic, Dune. According to Berg, they’d be deep into the project now if it wasn’t for the writer’s strike but it’s on hold until that comes to an end. They have no script, but reportedly have a list of writers who they hope to work with. While this is all on hold, Berg is going to direct Tom Cruise in the spy thriller, Edwin A. Salt.

Dune has been filmed twice before. One is the 1984 David Lynch version, with a cast that included Kyle MacLachlan and Sting. Sci-Fi network did a miniseries a few years ago. The Lynch version was, I believe, kind of a bust when it opened. I think the studios were expecting a big hit but it just wasn’t. As for audiences, well, people always have strong positive/negative feelings about Lynch, but aside from that, I think serious fans of the book (full disclosure: haven’t read the series) felt that the story was too big for the movie and it suffered from too much compression. The miniseries format served the full text better, but being on Sci-Fi, it just didn’t have the production values that people want to see.

Berg says he’s a big fan of the book and promises that this will be, “big, big, big.” He also says he liked the Lynch version, but feels there’s room for other interpretations.

Berg has been shifting between acting and directing. He did the critically well-received movie of Friday Night Lights, but has recently been in charge of actioners such as The Kingdom and 2008’s Hancock. As an actor, he was last seen in Lions for Lambs and has done a lot of TV work. He may not be (yet) say, Peter Jackson level as a director, he’ll never be Tom Cruise level as a movie star, but if you could have his career, you’d be doing pretty well.