Recently, Legendary Pictures acquired the rights to the epic science fiction fantasy by Frank Herbert - Dune. Given the scope of the saga, the opportunities for Legendary are quite simply almost limitless. If Legendary would like to make more money than it knows what to do with, it may want to consider a long-term strategy that will virtually guarantee that the franchise will endure and be successful. The way to do this is to form a partnership with Disney Studio’s and make a crossover film universe. Here are the reasons why this would work.
1) FOLLOW WHAT HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL - The main problem (among many) with the first Dune film is that it tried to tell a story that is broad in scope and deals with deep universal themes of power and the relationship of people with their environment. The Star Wars universe does the same, but not in the dense story telling way that the original Dune movie had done, but rather in a way that combines humor, adventure and generic themes of heroes and villains that people relate to. Dune could do the same especially if explicitly set in the same universe as Star Wars. The already similar worlds blend both science fiction (space flight, laser blasters, and other high tech gadgetry) with mysticism (the force and prescient abilities) as well as alien life forms (Arrakis Worms and Wookies) that reside on various unique planets. In fact, many aspects of the Star Wars world seem to have counterparts in the Dune universe for every Star Wars “clone”, there is a Dune “Ghola” and for every Star Wars Jedi training in the “ways of the Force” there is training in the Bene Gesserit “Weirding Way”. It would not be difficult to adapt Dune movies that followed the Star Wars mold.
2) WHY CREATE A RIVALRY OF ZERO SUM GAIN – Other than the fact that the two universes are set in different times- Star Wars (“A Long Time Ago”) and Dune (set over 10,000 years in Earth’s future), there is almost no part of the world visions that contradict each other. Jedi and Bene Gesserit exhibit identical abilities (Jedi “Mind Trick” and the Voice respectively) as well as train as master combatants with hand held weapons. They even pursue “paths” laid out before them based on mystical belief in which to respond to their world (Will of the Force vs Golden Path). Given the similarity, the development of a brand rivalry is almost a certainty if they chose to not be set in the same universe. As the Marvel and DC film wars have proven, creating competing world cinematic universes of a similar genre will almost certainly polarize audiences into Pro-Star Wars and Pro-Dune factions. Ideally people could love both, but the superhero genre indicates that many people (not all) seem to create inflexible allegiances to one brand. A shared universe between the two franchises would ensure that it does not happen. In that situation, while some people may prefer Jedi’s to Fremen, because they do reside in the same universe, it would not lead to one group of fans actively rooting for the other franchise to fail.
3) CREATIVELY IT OPENS UP POSSIBILITIES – Thus far Dune has been an epic adventure that centers around messianic figures (a chosen one) not unlike Star Wars. The same issues that would create rivalry in a separate universe, could very well expand the options for storytelling. What would happen if a Fremen trained in the Weirding Way fought a Sith Lord? If a Jedi trained in the Bene Gesserit’s Weirding Way and developed prescient abilities by consuming mélange, how powerful would they be when combined with the power of the Force and Jedi training? When in contact with the inhabitants of the Star Wars Universe, how would Dune inhabitants respond to the artificial life forms (droids) that populate the Star Wars universe given the past confrontational aspect of humans and robots in the Dune universe?
Taken together, the union of these two worlds is logical and inherently complimentary. So why should Legendary agree to such an undertaking? The answer is simple. Legendary runs the risk of being the “DC” in a rivalry. With Star Wars firmly established as a beloved saga, Dune would come across as a cheap imitation trying to capitalize on the success of Star Wars – this despite the fact that Dune predates Star Wars. In addition, by announcing that the Dune universe would be joining together with the Star Wars Universe, the millions of fans (read customers) that dress up as slave girls and Storm Troopers would become instant fans and would automatically develop a curiosity to determine what Dune would bring to their beloved galactic universe. As a result, it would peak the interests of these fans and virtually guarantee an audience for Dune centered films. So why should Disney Agree to this? The simple answer is the alternative is product saturation. While Disney would likely ‘win” the rivalry, it risks the success of future films by enabling the rivalry. For example, is it better to have Disney have to consider shuffling its Star Wars movie calendar around to avoid its Star Wars films competing with Dune. The more that the makers of Dune who are not Disney puts movies out that look and feel Star War-sy…the more and faster people will tire of the genre. Also, it is better that Disney make money off BOTH Star Wars and Dune (even if shared) than only make it off Star Wars.
So how would this work creatively…
In summary, Dune would be re-set in the past to coincide with Star Wars in a nondescript galaxy. Legendary and Disney should do a “Game of Thrones” type limited cable mini-series that reboots the Dune story to brings people up to speed. Upon the conclusion of the series a new series of Dune stories focused on a descendant of the House of Atreidies should begin as a summer-time blockbuster with Star Wars films occupying their current Christmas time schedule. One overarching theme could be that in order to defeat an evil greater than anything ever seen before, it will take the combined efforts of the (a) powerful Jedi, and male Bene Gesserit to defeat the evil. One story may culminate in the development of a planet destroying machine that is now impervious to military destruction that targets Arrakis. The only hope is for a powerful Jedi to consume mélange, develop prescient abilities and use the force to fold space around the planet which would redirect the assault from the weapon back to its source which would effectively destroy it and make such machines useless…just one idea. But hopefully you get the point!
The benefits to Legendary, Disney and science fiction fans would be tremendous. It would also make it more likely that the Dune saga would take hold in the popular culture and expand both worlds with exciting new stories. It would be an epic crossover, the likes of which the world has never seen and probably would never see again.