Recently, the second part of the new Dune films thrilled cinema audiences. However, there was already an attempt in the 1970s to adapt Frank Herbert’s book into a film. Unfortunately, the film, which was to become thoroughly megalomaniacal, was never made.
Which Dune film is being referred to? Even before David Lynch attempted to adapt the science fiction classic by Frank Herbert in 1984, the Chilean director Alejandro Jodorowsky made an attempt.
The filmmaker is primarily known for his highly surreal works. Some of his most famous films include “The Holy Mountain” and “El Topo”. Both impress with imaginative, colorful imagery and sometimes disturbing stories.
Jodorowsky saw Dune as his great opportunity. He didn’t just want to adapt Herbert’s book for the cinema; he aimed to revolutionize cinema itself through it. His goal was to change the way people think, especially that of the younger audience, through the film.
His Dune was meant to feel like taking the drug LSD while watching – but without actually consuming the substance. Looking at the concept art and the intended cast, it becomes clear that Jodorowsky’s vision went far beyond what ordinary cinema audiences knew.
Here you can see the trailer for the documentary “Jodorowsky’s Dune,” which sheds more light on the project:
Mick Jagger and Pink Floyd on the desert planet
What did Jodorowsky intend? To realize his dream of his own Dune film, the filmmaker sought prominent support by his side. Chiefly the French comic artist Moebius.
His drawings had impressed Jodorowsky. Together they developed the complete storyboard, drawing all the images of the planned film in detailed sketches on paper. Numerous spacecraft were also designed with the help of artist Chris Foss.
HR Giger was also involved as a concept artist. He would later contribute significantly to Ridley Scott’s Alien. But one step at a time.
The visual concept was thus established. Jodorowsky then sought his actors. In the lead role, which is played by Timothée Chalamet in the current adaptation, Jodorowsky’s own son was to be featured.
Aside from that, the list of intended actors is curious: the surrealist painter Salvador Dalí as the Emperor, Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones as Feyd-Rautha, and David Carradine, known to many as Bill in Kill Bill, as Leto.
Also, directing heavyweight Orson Welles as Baron Harkonnen and Udo Kier as Piter DeVries. As if that weren’t enough, Jodorowsky recruited the British band Pink Floyd for the music.
The project was doomed to fail
Why was the film never made? It was not the staff’s fault that Dune was never filmed by Jodorowsky. While they sometimes had strange demands, such as Orson Welles wanting his favorite chef on set, they were all ultimately willing to participate.
In the end, it failed, as so often in the film world, due to lack of money. Although Jodorowsky had an impressive portfolio full of concept art, no Hollywood studio wanted to raise the 15 million dollars needed to make the film.
15 million may not seem like much by today’s standards for such a film, but for the standards of the time, it seemed too risky for studios to invest in the project. Therefore, Jodorowsky had to give up with a heavy heart.
Was it all in vain? Some of the ideas gathered for the film influenced later works in the SciFi genre. HR Giger used his design of the Harkonnen palace and further developed it. This led to the iconic appearance of the Alien from the eponymous film.
Other classics like Blade Runner were also influenced by this first version of Dune. So the work was not entirely in vain. By the way, Jodorowsky found David Lynch’s version to be terribly bad. And the current one by Denis Villeneuve he described as “predictable and industrial” (via theplaylist.com)
Anyone who wants to learn more details about this truly insane project can currently watch the corresponding documentary in the Arte media library. The film from 2013 bears the fitting title “Jodorowsky’s Dune”. It can be accessed for free until August 18, 2024.
Are you Dune fans? Have you seen the new version, and what do you think of the Lynch version? Here you can find the opinion of MeinMMO editor-in-chief Leya Jankowski, who recommends Dune 2 by Denis Villeneuve, especially in theaters.
