David Lynch Hates His Dune, and for Good Reasons; 'I Shouldn't Have Done This Adaptation,' He Says

Dune (or Dune Chronicles) is a series of novels by Frank Herbert, the creation of which was continued after the writer's death by his son, Brian Herbert, together with Kevin J. Anderson. In the second half of the 20th century these books were an iconic work of fiction bordering between fantasy and science fiction. Over time, they became bestsellers, and a multitude of fans began to avidly absorb the world Herbert had created.

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At that time there appeared the first serious proposal to film the novels. The idea was taken up by De Laurentiis studio, acting on behalf of Universal Pictures and preparing a budget of about $40 million, which, for the time, promised a sizable undertaking.

From all the directors who could be entrusted with overseeing the production, David Lynch was chosen. Even then it was said to be a strange decision. The artist was known for making rather unusual and surreal films such as the Oscar-nominated The Elephant Man or Eraserhead.

Of course, today these works are absolute classics of cinema and top items in Lynch's directorial portfolio, but entrusting him with the screen adaptation of such huge source material did not seem like a good idea. Universal Pictures took a risk because they were essentially choosing a visionary - perfect, it would seem, for replicating Frank Herbert's bold vision.

The decision to adapt Dune was made shortly after Lynch turned down a request from George Lucas to direct The Return of the Jedi. However, he was not the first director the studio had considered. Ten years earlier, the surrealist Chilean filmmaker, Alejandro Jodorowsky, had tried to push through a project of a crazy adaptation of Dune, which would include songs by the band Pink Floyd and Orson Welles as Vladimir Harkonnen. The idea was not met with enthusiasm by the movie industry, because it was supposed to deviate too much from the source material.

David Lynch was not particularly interested in the popular science fiction movies of the time. He turned down the opportunity to direct the next installment of Star Wars. However, he agreed to direct Dune, because, as he stated, "Dune was different, it had a believable characterization and depth.". Over time, the director felt that it was a huge mission, which was also followed by pressure. For him as well as for Universal Pictures Dune was to be the first part of a new science fiction series that could compete with the aforementioned Star Wars.

However, something went wrong...

The main reasons for the failure of the movie were the differences between David Lynch's style and the studio's approach. Universal Pictures had a completely different idea for the screen adaptation than the director, who relied on his unique and unmistakable style. Thus, he wanted to create an original production capable of conquering the world. At the time, his output included shocking, logic-denying and surreal movies. Unfortunately, the same qualities were not necessarily desirable for a high-budget adaptation of fantasy and science fiction books.

Lynch created a three-hour version of Dune, which was then heavily cut by De Laurentiis. Mainly the surrealistic inserts were removed , thus depriving the movie of due depth. Thus, what fans received , was a severely truncated work with numerous scenes missing. Their presence could have completely changed the perception of the image of desert Arrakis and house Atreides.

According to Collider, after this unpleasant experience David Lynch didn't even feel like watching the Dune from 2021, directed by Denis Villeneuve.

Why did the studio and label stand in Lynch's way?

The version of Dune, which eventually hit theaters, was a spectacle stripped of the director's vision and at the same time a combination of David Lynch's intentions with scenes imposed by the studio. In the end fans got a production that did not meet the expectations of either. Although such a huge world was created by Herbert naturally, it could have been difficult to transfer to the screen and some stumbling would have been normal, Dune from 1984 had nothing to appeal to fans of the writer's original concept.. The movie was received with embarrassment among critics, Frank Herbert fans and casual viewers alike.

David Lynch's Dune has become one of the biggest financial failures in the history of the genre. Despite this the director does not regret his participation in the project. It was on the set that he met Kyle MacLachlan, an actor whom he later engaged for Twin Peaks and Blue Velvet.

Undoubtedly, however, David Lynch's adventure with high-budget movie series ended there. Failure taught him a lot, and the Dune from 1984 is best simply forgotten.

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