Before a screening of Dune last week, my local Alamo Drafthouse played a Dune-themed pre-roll. After going through the history of prog-rock songs inspired by Frank Herbert’s classic novel, the theater chain showed Gabriel Gundacker’s iconic “Zendaya Is Meechee” video. It was a clever choice, not only because Zendaya is in the film, but also because the cast/character list has big “Zendaya Is Meechee” vibes.
“Oscar Isaac is Duke Leo,” “Josh Brolin is Gurney Halleck,” “Dave Bautista is Glossu Rabban,” and, of course, “Jason Momoa is Duncan Idaho.” That’s the one people are having a hard time getting over, even though Dune is a movie with sandworms, “spice” that makes space travel possible, and Oscar Isaac not sharing his grooming habits, which is just rude. But a character named Duncan Idaho? That’s too much, man.
In an interview with Vulture, Dune director Denis Villeneuve was asked whether he thinks Duncan Idaho is a cool name. “Personally, I deeply love it,” he replied. “I love that Frank Herbert gives hints of Earth culture. You have links with the Catholic religion, or Middle Eastern cultural elements. They are hints that these people were coming from Earth, and then they expanded into the galaxy. And ‘Duncan Idaho’ roots it to Earth. So personally, I don’t know what your position on it is, but I love it. I think it’s the best.”
This is the correct answer. Another cool name: Jason Momoa.
jason momoa rules because most of his roles are just like “what if there was a dude who was fucking rad as hell” and you don’t really need range when you do that better than anyone
— massage gun kelly (@treswritesstuff) October 26, 2021
(Via Vulture)