Frank Hebert’s sprawling sci-fi novel Dune has been notoriously resistant to adaptation in the past. The rights were first optioned in 1971 by Apjac International, after which it was offered to a series of prominent directors, such as David Lean, but nobody was willing to take it on. Eventually David Lynch brought the ailing franchise to screen, with disastrous results (more on that later). Later efforts were mixed, the 2001 video-game made by Cryo was appalling, but the 1993 audiobook and 2001 Sy-Fy miniseries both received warm critical praise. It’s still fair to say that nothing has ever really captured the spirit of the novel, though.
Before the film project ultimately passed to David Lynch, Chilean film-maker Alejandro Jodorowsky (El Topo) was at the helm. Allegedly the desire to adapt the book into a film came to him in a dream, and after being given the project he sought out an all-star team of collaborators to help him realise the project, including Salvador DalÃ, Orson Welles, Dan O’Bannon, Gloria Swanson, David Carradine, Geraldine Chaplin, Pink Floyd, Alain Delon, Hervé Villechaize, Mick Jagger and H.R. Giger. The project eventually fell apart, due to various financial constraints and difficulties with the cast (Dalà was particularly troublesome), and many of the crew members diverted to work on Ridley Scott’s Alien. The film rights went into hibernation before finally being awarded to Lynch right on the edge of the deadline.
Now, more than 40 years later, Jodorowsky’s project might finally come to light. Jodorowsky had previously stated, despite his version having been intended as live action, that a great animation director would eventually take on the challenge. Presumably he expected this legendary director to use the 3000-plus storyboards that were developed during pre-production as a launchpad. Evidently, the time has come, Jodorowsky has allegedly registered an interest in meeting A Waltz with Bashir director Ari Folman to talk about the project and Folman himself has stated that he wants to do it, although he’s currently preoccupied with an animated version of The Diary of Anne Frank. It’s an enticing prospect, Hebert’s novel is perhaps better suited to animation than live-action and Folman’s unique, abstract style could well suit it perfectly. Worth keeping an eye on.
To get an idea of what Jodorowsky had in mind, check out this trailer for a recent documentary about the project:
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