David Lynch on Denis Villeneuve’s ‘Dune’: ‘I Have Zero Interest’
Denis Villeneuve's Dune adaptation has received quite a bit of buzz after the first set photos were revealed last week. Cinematic portraits of Timothée Chalamet as the young royal Paul Atreides standing in a desolate landscape have riled up sci-fi fans (and teenage girls) everywhere. But David Lynch hasn't really noticed. In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Lynch shared his feelings towards self-isolation, the future of moviemaking in a post-coronavirus world, and Transcendental Meditation. As he busies himself with personal projects, Lynch stated that he has “zero interest” in the upcoming Dune film.
Lynch had attempted the task of adapting Frank Herbert’s science fiction novel for the big screen back in 1984. The resulting product was a bizarre box office flop that remains a curiosity in Lynch's repertoire. When asked why he's avoiding the movie, Lynch replied:
Because it was a heartache for me. It was a failure and I didn’t have final cut. I’ve told this story a billion times. It’s not the film I wanted to make. I like certain parts of it very much — but it was a total failure for me.
While Lynch himself has distanced himself from the project for good, it should be noted that his version of Dune is not as universally hated as it once was. It might be messy, flawed, and confusing, but there's something about its 80s camp and glorious missteps that make it one of a kind. Villeneuve's Dune is set to be released by Warner Bros. Pictures on December 18, 2020.
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