Dune (miniseries)

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Frank Herbert's Dune was a three-part miniseries based on the Dune novel by Frank Herbert. It was produced by New Amsterdam Entertainment in association with Blixa Film Productktion and Hallmark Entertainment Distribution, and broadcast by the Sci Fi Channel. The series was first broadcast in 2000.

Adaptation

While many book fans consider the older 1984 David Lynch film an unfaithful adaptation, fans have heatedly debated whether the miniseries more truly reflects the philosophical and thematic point of view of the original. Those who consider it to be a far more accurate adaptation of the saga than the 1984 film are probably in the majority; however, dissenters contend that the miniseries' deviations from the book are at least as major as those of Lynch's film, and that the latter better conveys the subtleties and nuances of Herbert's novel.

Although in many respects faithful to the book, the miniseries did boast some stylistic changes. For example, whereas Herbert's ornithopters were described as truly birdlike in their flight, the miniseries' ornithopters more closely resembled insects. Contention surrounding the correct pronunciation of Herbert's "Fedaykin" aside, the miniseries opted for a Western pronunciation more distant from the Arabic-sounding one used in Lynch's film that would seem appropriate given the extensive, Arabic-themed terminology in the novel (the correct pronunciation is what it looks like, "Fed-ay-kin", but at this sounds similar to "Fedayeen", the characters pronounce it "Fed-die-kin"). Some fans were upset by the Fremen's eyes, believing that the nearly phosphorescent, light blue coloring was not faithful to Herbert's description, "blue within blue" (in the miniseries, you can still see the iris and whites of the eyes, but in the book heavy spice addiction makes the eye look like a solid blue ball).

Follow-up

A follow-up miniseries called Frank Herbert's Children of Dune, continued the story, adapting the second and third novels in the series.

A Director's Cut edition of the mini-series is available on DVD, which contains many additional scenes not in the original televised version. The original televised version is also available.

Awards

The miniseries won two Emmy Awards in 2001 for Cinematography and Visual effects in a miniseries/movie, as well as being nominated for a third for Sound editing.