Not long after Frank Herbert's best-selling science fiction novel was published in 1965, sand dunesEarly attempts were made to turn the book into a film. The film option was originally purchased in 1971 by producer Arthur B. Jacobs—who entered early development with Lawrence of Arabia Director David Lean is set to direct the film.
However, Jacobs tragically died in 1973, temporarily relinquishing the rights until they were purchased by a French film group that commissioned director Alejandro Jodorowsky to develop the film. sand dunes In 1974, Jodorowsky gained fame (and notoriety) with his “acid western” films such as El Topoand in developing his version of sand dunesIt departed greatly from Herbert's novels.
By that time, Herbert had already written his first five books. sand dunes sequels, Dune: ChristBut Jodorowsky was going his own way, taking a lot of artistic freedom in the development, which is covered extensively in the engaging documentary Jodorowsky's DuneMuch ink has been spilled over Jodorowsky's unrealized version, as well as David Lynch's much-maligned version of the film that eventually made it to screens in 1984. Yet rarely discussed is the short tenure the director spent on the film. Ridley Scotthigh riding between Space and Blade Runnerwas appointed to direct dune.
How Ridley Scott's Dune Could Have Helped Alejandro Jodorowsky's Pre-Cut
While the “what ifs” surrounding Jodorowsky Vanguard Approach to sand dunes David Lynch's studio-sabotaged 1984 film has been widely analyzed by critics and film fans alike – Ridley Scott's version was probably the most likely.This is because Scott was at the height of his sci-fi filmmaking career after shocking audiences with the deep space horror film known as Space In 1979.
Just three years earlier, in 1976, legendary producer Dino De Laurentiis had bought the rights to sand dunes A supporter of Jodorowsky after the Mexican director's failed attempt to bring Herbert's story to the screen. In the spring of 1979, Ridley Scott Space It has surpassed all limits of science fiction. Adapting H.R. Giger's nightmarish artwork into a successful space horror film, De Laurentiis set his sights on Scott as a potential character. sand dunes Director – Understand how well the British director has mastered the genre.
Scott used H.R. Giger's artwork in his version of Dune.
One thing Scott's version kept from Jodorowsky's version: sand dunes Development was the macabre art of Swiss spray-painting master H.R. Giger, but Jodorowsky was more interested in making art than entertaining audiences—a skill that Scott particularly possessed. Scott entered the development business in 1992. sand dunes In late 1979, the film faced the perennial problem of developing Frank Herbert's dense novels into a two-hour short film (a problem that continued to challenge director Denis Villeneuve 40 years later).
There was a bigger problem for Ridley Scott, some personal turmoil he faced during development in the late 1970s—as well as his greater desire to adapt another sci-fi work—Philip K. Dick's 1968 novel Do robots dream of electric sheep?which eventually became Blade Runner.
Elements of Scott's development of Dune were a foreshadowing of Denis Villeneuve's later film.
Over the years, Ridley Scott has given several reasons for abandoning the project. sand dunesBut in late 1979, Scott began developing the project, hiring novelist and screenwriter Rudy Wurlitzer to write the script. Wurlitzer had already worked as a writer on two notable films, Two lane asphalt road and Pat Garrett and Billy the KidNeither film was a success, but Wurlitzer managed to write a first draft of The Dune Which Ridley Scott considered a “decent distillation” of Frank Herbert's novels.
Herbert himself had attempted to write a screenplay for De Laurentiis's novel in 1978, which would have taken over three hours to make it to the big screen. Scott intended to split the first book into two films, much as Denis Villeneuve has done with his current (and highly successful) film adaptations of De Laurentiis's novel. sand dunesThe problem was that development was moving slowly, and Scott knew that his boss, De Laurentiis, preferred to produce his films on time and on a lower budget.
Tragic loss leads to Scott's resignation from Dune
Then came a shocking personal tragedy. Scott's older brother, Frank, lost a brief battle with cancer that shook his brother Ridley to the core during his third attempt to develop the film. sand dunes. Talking about the tragedy in the documentary Ridley Scott: Making His Films“I didn't have the heart to attack,” Scott said. [Dune] Because my brother Frank died suddenly of cancer while I was making the De Laurentiis picture. Honestly, that blew my mind. So I went to Dino and told him: sand dunes “The script was his.”
While that may have been Scott’s reasoning at the time, he later cited factors beyond the family tragedy. Dino De Laurentiis was known in Hollywood for his frugality as a producer. While De Laurentiis was known for his ability to raise money for risky film projects, he also had no liking for going over budget, a fact that became laughable when, years later, David Lynch’s Iron Man was released. sand dunes It became a wasteful project that couldn't even turn a profit. However, at the time Ridley Scott was attached to sand dunesIt was clear that the film would need a huge budget to live up to Herbert's novel.
In the end, Scott may have made the right decision.
In fact, De Laurentiis would have been better off financially. sand dunes It was Scott who decided to shoot the film instead of director David Lynch. But another major factor came into play for Ridley Scott later on—De Laurentiis’s notorious stinginess led him to demand that the film be shot in Mexico City. This was a bridge too far for Scott, who was still grieving the loss of his brother. Speaking of De Laurentiis’s wishes, Scott recalled that he had dreamed of shooting the film in Mexico City. IndieWire“,”[De Laurentiis] He said, “Mexico.” I said, “Really?” So he sent me to Mexico City. With all due respect to Mexico City, in those days [it was] “It smelled really bad. I didn't like it.”
For Scott, That was the straw that broke the camel's back, as he was already drawn to the text that was most isolated to him. Blade Runner – He cautioned against De Laurentiis's cost-cutting approach to filmmaking. However, Scott's interest in sand dunes He was serious, as Scott noted that he was “attracted to sand dunes Because it was beyond what I did. Spacea powerful horror movie. sand dunes That would be a very strong step in the direction of star wars“Apart from these possibilities, it is clear that Scott made the wise decision (for his career prospects) when Blade Runner It eventually became the most prominent sci-fi film of the 1980s, propelling him into the top echelon of action film directors.
sand dunes This has become perhaps the most analyzed film of the 20th century – after years and years and varying degrees of story development under directors of different generations such as Lane, Jodorowsky, Scott and Lynch. However, before the development of animation reached its peak in the 1990s, it is difficult not to assume that Ridley Scott could have given Herbert's novels their greatest results. In the early 1980s – given the groundbreaking sci-fi films he was making at the time. sand dunes (1984) is available to stream on Netflix, while sand dunes (2021) Available to stream on Max.
