“Children of Dune,” based on Frank Herbert’s best-selling “Dune” books, marks the actress’s first foray into science fiction. Though the story unfolds on a distant planet 10,000 years in the future, Sarandon found herself on familiar ground. “I’m not a sci-fi person, but there was something about this that was more than just sci-fi,” Sarandon told NEWSWEEK during filming last month in Prague. “Everything that propels the plot forward [in ‘Dune’] really has to do with women breaking the rules. Doing everything they’re not supposed to do, whether it’s having children they’re not supposed to have or loving someone they’re not supposed to. Women feature very, very strongly in ‘Dune’; I liked that about it.” In the $20 million, six-hour television dramatization, which will air around the world, Sarandon plays wicked Princess Wensicia, whose deposed family once ruled the desert planet Arrakis (known as “Dune”) and is now plotting to overthrow the current regime.
Sarandon might also have been attracted to the eight costumes and seven elaborate hair designs specially created for her by “Amadeus” Oscar winners Theodor Pistek and Paul LeBlanc. “The whole visual aspect of it seems quite impressive and very courageous. And I have to say I’ve never done so much ‘hair acting’ in my life,” she said. Director Greg Yaitanes says Sarandon was so excited about the costumes that she took Polaroids of herself in each one and mailed them to her three kids in summer camp.
The film itself should be equally extravagant visually. Achieving the futuristic special effects–including re-creating a vast desert–challenged the filmmakers’ relatively modest budget. That explains why the film is being shot in Prague, where significant cost savings are attracting a growing number of Hollywood moviemakers. The production has been filmed entirely on indoor stages, including the unlikely setting of a former tram factory; the desert scenes required 300 tons of sand to be shipped in.
Despite all the special effects, Yaitanes says fans will have little trouble recognizing Sarandon in a trademark role. “The costumes and hair are new,” he says, “but the strong character isn’t.”
