Actor David Dastmalchian hints at his psychopathic character in the upcoming Dune adaptation. The epic sci-fi novel of the same name was released in 1965 by Frank Herbert. Set far in the future on the planet Arrakis, the story follows Paul Atreides, played by Timothée Chalamet in the new film. His noble family must rule the inhospitable planet, which has the spice melange. This drug has the ability to prolong life and enhance one's ability. When the family is betrayed, Paul seeks to avenge them.
There have been two adaptations of the novel released in the past. David Lynch directed a Dune adaptation in 1984, while a mini-series was released in 2000 on the SyFy Channel. The newest film is directed and co-written by Denis Villeneuve (Blade Runner 2049) and co-written by Jon Spaihts (Doctor Strange) and Eric Roth (A Star Is Born). The cast includes all-star names like Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya, Jason Momoa, Josh Brolin, Dave Bautista, Javier Bardem, Oscar Isaac, Stellan Skarsgård, David Dastmalchian, and Charlotte Rampling.
In an interview with Slashfilm, Dastmalchian talked about his high level of excitement being a part of Dune. He plays Mentat Piter de Vries. Mentats are described as human computers, who are trained to be extremely skillful with logic. He explained how he views the character from the original novel and how he looked at the character going into the project. Read on below for his comment:
"With Piter, there’s that psychopathy that comes from being a twisted Mentat, that is frightening and disturbing. And to put myself in his mindset was hard. So to utter a language, because Piter’s brain operates at such a high level, he is for all intents and purposes, a human computer, speaking in the highly specific way in which the language would come out was actually … It made perfect sense. It seemed to really add a great deal to the character. It felt more like an assist than an obstacle, if that makes sense.”
Piter was originally played by Brad Dourif in Lynch's adaptation, and by Jan Unger in the mini-series. Mentats were created as alternatives to "thinking-machines" AKA computers devices that are prohibited in the Dune universe, adding to the character's overall tone of danger. In the novel, he's described as "a slender, short man with effeminate face." Due to his addiction to melange, his eyes are noted to have a deep blue appearance. He serves Baron Vladimir Harkonnen with the upmost of loyalty, who is played by Skarsgård in the 2021 film.
Dastmalchian's excitement for both the role and the story are reassuring. Since the original novel is considered one of the greatest sci-fi novels of all time, audiences and fans of the original novel have high expectations for the film. However, Villeneuve has proven that he's an exceptional storyteller, particularly when it comes to the science fiction genre. The film was initially delayed due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and then was pushed back another three weeks. Now, Dune is finally scheduled to hit theaters on October 22. It will also be available on HBO Max on the same date, although it will be taken down after 31 days.
Source: Slashfilm
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