Before Denis Villeneuve took a shot at adapting Frank Herbert’s 1965 sci-fi epic novel “Dune” for the screen, several other filmmakers had their own go at bringing the work to life.
One of course was David Lynch whose 1984 film was both a critical and commercial bomb. Even before its release, studio interference led to the director disowning the project.
The other, whose work actually made it to the screen, was John Harrison. Harrison both wrote and directed a three-part miniseries for what was then the Sci-Fi Channel back in 2000.
Though extremely limited by budget ($20 million for the entire four-and-a-half hour production) which led to a “filmed stage play” feeling at times, the miniseries was well-received upon release and notable for some redeeming features – including a richer backstory for the Princess Irulan character previously sidelined in Lynch’s film.
Recently, Harrison spoke to ComicBook.com about Villeneuve’s two “Dune” films ahead of the second one’s opening early next year. He says he’s very excited to see what Villeneuve does and hopes some of its fans might check out his mini-series take:
“I’m very excited about it. Richard Rubenstein and I were still involved in the development of several attempts to try and get it off the ground after my miniseries. And maybe fortunately, some of those never came to pass because I think what Denis Villeneuve has done is just fantastic. And I love him as a director. I wasn’t involved at all in the latest movies except to have my name put up there. But I think it’s just fantastic and I’m really looking forward to the new ones.
And I hope it does introduce a whole new audience to the Dune world. If they are able to get back and see my miniseries, I’m very proud of them. We were able to… I think the success of them, they won a couple of Emmys and they were hugely successful here and abroad. I think they gave people faith that Dune actually could be adapted again.”
Clocking in at just over four hours, the miniseries remains one of the highest-rated programs ever broadcast on the Sci-Fi Channel. Meanwhile, Villeneuve’s first “Dune” film racked up several Oscars and over $400 million in box-office.
