Easily one of the most anticipated movies of 2020 is Denis Villeneuve’s star-studded adaptation of Frank Herbert’s seminal sci-fi novel Dune. Of course, this isn’t the first time Dune has been adapted. In addition to a small screen miniseries adaptation in 2000, the material was previously adapted in 1984 by director David Lynch. That film starred actor Kyle MacLachlan as Paul Atreides, the role that Timothée Chalamet will play in the new film. And Kyle MacLachlan is excited to see this new take on Dune, as he explained:
I’m very excited to see it. There will be another one, there will be a couple of us out there, running around, there’s plenty of room I think, and Timothée I think will do a fantastic job. I’m very much looking forward to the vision Denis has. David Lynch, of course, it’s a very specific vision, so this will be something completely different, I’m sure. Why not have both stand on their own merits?
Like the rest of us, Kyle MacLachlan is eager to go to the theater on December 18 to watch Dune. The actor wants to see what the director of Arrival and Blade Runner 2049’s vision is for his version of Dune and how he will put his own spin on Frank Herbert’s classic tale. Kyle MacLachlan was also quite gracious to actor Timothée Chalamet, who will step into the stillsuit to play Paul Atreides in Denis Villeneuve’s film.
Timothée Chalamet will be the third person to play Paul Atreides onscreen following Kyle MacLachlan and the Syfy miniseries’ Alec Newman, and MacLachlan has faith that the rising star and Oscar nominee will do a great job in the role. Kyle MacLachlan’s take on Denis Villeneuve’s Dune also reflected the actor’s appreciation of David Lynch’s film and his belief that you don’t have to pick just one.
As Kyle MacLachlan told director Kevin Smith on The IMDb Studio, once Denis Villeneuve’s Dune is released, there will be a few versions of Dune out there in the ether, and there’s plenty of room for all of them. He noted that David Lynch, whom he has collaborated with on multiple projects, including Dune, Blue Velvet and Twin Peaks, had a very specific vision for Dune, and therefore this new version will be something completely different.
Those variations in the adaptations mean that there is room for each Dune to exist and be appreciated. The same would be true had Alejandro Jodorowsky’s Dune been made, which also would have been a unique vision. You can compare all of them, but it’s not a competition. Each can stand on its own merits.
It’s a sage sentiment from Kyle MacLachlan (who is a huge fan of Frank Herbert's book) that bears remembrance for whenever a beloved film is remade or property adapted. The new version does not wipe out the older one, and you can appreciate each individually.
David Lynch’s film was, as Kyle MacLachlan said, very much that auteur’s own vision. Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation, while obviously reflecting the director’s vision of the material, sounds like it will be more faithful to Frank Herbert’s novel.
Dune arrives in theaters on December 18. Check out our 2020 Release Schedule to keep track of all this year’s biggest movies and stay tuned to CinemaBlend for the latest movie news.
