Popular Culture Wars: Racism, Gender and Empire and the Transformations of 21st Century Capitalism

Abstract

Isaac Asimov's Foundation and Frank Herbert's Dune were considered to be "unadaptable" works. This paper critically discusses Villeneuve's Dune and the TV series created by AppleTV+, a revision of the "Foundation", overviewing the controversies surrounding the recreation and transformation of these "grand narratives". The author considers that these transmutations are relevant not only for their storytelling alterations, but also for the transformations of "cinematic capitalism". Proposing as a working concept the notion of chimeric capitalist cinema, the paper also brings into the debate other productions that disclose ideological mutations, like Rings of Power and House of the Dragon, considering how contemporary cinematic modes of production are changing.