It has been 56 years since the universe of Dune saw the light of day. Frank Herbert published the first book in his series in August 1965. Since then, a whole new sci-fi macrocosm developed, with a saga consisting of 15 volumes. While the literary corpus is consistent, the cinematic adaptations did not manage to get the attention and success the story deserves — until recently. Dune: Part One, directed by Denis Villeneuve, has been praised by critics and audiences alike, with part two of the story in theaters in 2023 — but this wasn’t the first attempt at an adaptation.
In 1971, Apjac International optioned the rights and subsequently sold them to a French consortium that hired Alejandro Jodorowsky. During pre-production, there was a meticulous storyboard composed of 3000 individual drawings. Jodorowsky wanted his son Brontis to play Paul Atreides. He was 12 at the start, and Jodorowsky made Brontis learn a multitude of fighting techniques for six hours a day, every day, for two years. His father wanted Brontis to become Paul Atreides. A really unexpected artist was supposed to play the Emperor: Salvador Dalí (!), who supposedly asked for a crazy high budget. And that was not the only incredible name that could have been involved in the production: Jodorowsky wanted Pink Floyd to compose the soundtrack and Orson Welles to play The Baron.
In the documentary Jodorowsky’s Dune, Frank Pavich highlights the main problem with Jodorowsky’s take on Herbert’s novel: the film’s length. The Chilean-French director simply refused to compromise on the adaptation’s running time. In his artistic vision, Jodorowsky did not want to have less than 10 to 14 hours of footage. The French producers provided $10 million, but Jodorowsky needed more money to execute his vision –- he asked for an additional $5 million. The situation got even more complicated: not one frame was shot, but the director had already spent almost $2 million in pre-production. No more firms were willing to support such a risky project.
After two years, Jodorowsky abandoned Dune. While this project could not be realized and ended up being a DOA idea for film studios, the script, all the storyboards, and concept art are available, and they confirm Jodorowsky’s outstanding artistic vision. The director worked with excellent artists such as Chris Foss, H.R. Giger, and Moebius, who later contributed to other sci-fi films like Alien.
So Jodorowsky’s Dune was halted; what about the novel’s rights? They were bought by the Italian production company owned by Dino De Laurentiis, who would eventually produce the 1984 iteration of Dune, directed by David Lynch. Could this new adaptation have a straightforward story? Clearly, no. Firstly, De Laurentiis commissioned Frank Herbert himself to write the screenplay which, being approximately 170 pages, was way too long. In 1979, the producer then hired Ridley Scott to direct. Scott backed out of the project when the studio decided to shoot in Mexico City. Dino De Laurentiis wanted to cut the production costs by making it in Mexico. In a recent interview, Scott explained: “I said, ‘Really?’ So he sent me to Mexico City. And with the greatest respect to Mexico City, in those days [it was] pretty pongy. I didn’t love it.” The director did not feel like the working conditions were ideal for him. Again, the project did not see the light of the day, as Scott moved on and directed Blade Runner instead.
Finally, the Lynchian phase started when Dino’s daughter, Raffaella De Laurentiis, pitched the project to the director, David Lynch. Lynch moved to Los Angeles in 1971, and his debut feature, Eraserhead, became an influential cult movie. With another gem, The Elephant Man, he earned 8 Oscar nominations, including Best Director. This movie brought him to the attention of Raffaella. David Lynch was not familiar with Herbert’s novel, but he read it and accepted the challenge. The film was shot in Mexico City in 1983, and the production was halted multiple times because of a series of issues, such as blackouts, problems with the singular telephone line, and food poisoning.
Unlike Denis Villeneuve, Lynch didn’t have the chance to divide the story into various parts. This forced him to reduce his four-hour-long work to a little more than two hours, affecting the complexity of the story. The studio’s cut resulted in problems with the pace and rhythm, an incoherent tone, and a lot of awkward battle sequences. For instance, while Chani is a mysterious secondary character in the first part of Villeneuve’s adaptation, she is expected to play a significant role in the second movie. In Lynch’s film, she is just a minor romantic interest and does not get to take up the proper space she deserves.
Still, even if Lynch did not use an expressionistic style as Villeneuve does, he added his typical bizarre and “dream-logic” style. Indeed, in Dune, Lynch explores the importance of dreams and consciousness expansion. Much screen time is dedicated to Paul stuck in his visions, and his awakening becomes a leitmotif key to driving the logic of the story. His Dune is still cohesive with his incredible filmography, but Lynch defined his version of the story as a “huge sadness in my life.”
The box office result was disappointing. The film opened on December 14, 1984, and earned only $6,025,091 on its opening weekend. By the end of its run, Dune had grossed $30,925,690 (considering inflation, it would equate to approximately $75 million now). Considering the high budget, estimated at $40 million, the film was considered a box office bomb. The movie was also negatively reviewed, criticized for its “convoluted narrative” and defined as “impossible to follow.”
In 2000, a Dune miniseries was produced by Sci-Fi Channel in the United States. John Harrison was hired to write and direct this version which consisted of three parts. Four versions of this mini-series exist. The original version runs for 280 minutes, and it was considered unsuitable for the American network, but it was used in other countries. Indeed, network executives decided to remove many scenes of nudity. While the American TV version was cut to 265 minutes, the UK aired a different one as the distributor cut episode 1 for the presence of violence. The Director’s cut includes an additional six minutes (286 minutes), and it is available on DVD. Moreover, Sci-Fi Channel ordered a sequel called Children of Dune, which Harrison wrote, but didn’t direct.
In 2008, Paramount Pictures made a public announcement about their decision to adapt Dune once again. Peter Berg was chosen to direct, with Frank Herbert’s son Brian attached as a consultant. The new adaptation would have a more ecological perspective on the classic story. After a few months, Berg dropped out for undisclosed reasons. The French director Pierre Morel came on board, but the project never saw the light of the day. History repeated itself yet again.
Still, Legendary made the last and most successful attempt to pick up and option Dune’s rights in 2013. They chose Blade Runner 2049’s Denis Villeneuve as a director, who has always wanted to work with Herbert’s saga. Villeneuve confirmed in an interview that he specifically recommended that they should adapt the story of the novel in two parts, and Legendary Studios agreed with the proposition.
All things considered, Villeneuve could not approach Dune with more pressure. Villeneuve’s Dune makes interesting changes to the male “chosen one” narrative. In the case of Paul Atreides, the director highlights the struggle, the suffering, and the difficulties of embodying the role of the triumphant messiah. Paul is not a warrior, but he has to carry the burden of being one. In addition, Villeneuve also explores how the characterization of the hero is affected by his complex relationship with his mother, Jessica. It is the emotional backbone of the story, and it highlights the connection between gender and power in this sci-fi world. As Villeneuve said in an interview with IGN, he is “fascinated by the relationship of femininity and power, the place of women in society.” This version of Dune also focuses on the fragility of the planet’s ecosystem. Herbert’s masterpiece is a critique of climate change and the exploitation of natural resources, and Villeneuve shines a harsh light on these processes.
Critics generally praised Dune for its ambition, its writing, and aesthetics. On November 26, 2021, Dune crossed the $100 million box office threshold in the United States and Canada, and $268.8 million in other territories, for a worldwide box office total of $368.1 million.
After all the unfortunate events and failures, Dune was long considered an unadaptable literary work. In 2021, we can all agree that this myth has been debunked.
