Adapting classic novels is tricky business for a filmmaker. First, you have the typical issues, such as the fact that novels are able to get into much more detail over the course of 300 pages than a 2-hour film can. And then, such as is the case with Frank Herbert’s “Dune,” there’s the issue that the book was released in 1965, meaning that society has changed quite a bit in 54 years and even though the plot takes place in a distant planet with an alien civilization, there are some story issues that likely need to be addressed. And according to actress Rebecca Ferguson, filmmaker Denis Villeneuve is aware of that and is making sure some characters are altered just a bit to fit the more modern era.
Speaking to ComingSoon, Ferguson was asked about her character, Lady Jessica, and how her character is going to translate to the 2020 film. For those that aren’t aware of the story, Jessica is a Bene Gesserit woman that is also the mother of lead character Paul Atreides and the concubine for Duke Leto. And given that description, you can probably see why Villeneuve might be interested in giving Jessica a bit more agency and empowerment than Frank Herbert did in his novel.
“Completely and utterly honors the strength of Jessica–the Bene Gesserit that she is, even though she is a concubine and her rights are not as high as the King or what her son becomes,” Ferguson said. “Denis was very much aligned with creating empowerment and powerful moments for her where they were needed.”
She continued, “I think Frank Herbert… when he wrote it he didn’t really live in an understandably equal environment. And the book is great! It has beautiful moments in it. It’s not really where we are or where we should be.”
As she mentioned, Herbert’s depiction of the character isn’t completely outdated and horrible. However, as with many of the novels of that era, the idea of female empowerment isn’t held in the same regard as it is in 2019, so updates are going to be made.
How that plays out in the film is still yet to be seen. However, given that Ferguson is so quick to mention that Villeneuve has made changes, it seems to point to the fact that his “Dune” won’t be the slavishly faithful adaptation that some fans might be expecting. That being said, there are plenty of times when an adaptation is served better by breaking away from the source material in some places.
“Dune” is expected to arrive in theaters on December 18, 2020.