Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Friday, March 24
    Trending
    • This Day in History on March 24th
    • History Short: Has Any US President Ever Been Arrested?
    • This Day in History on March 23rd
    • R.I.P. Lance Reddick (1962-2023)
    • This Day in History on March 22nd
    • This Day in History on March 21st
    • Animated Map of the 2022 Russian Invasion of Ukraine (through March 20th, 2023)
    • This Day in History on March 20th
    History and Headlines
    • Arts & Entertainment
      • Cinema & TV
      • Games
      • Literature
      • Music
      • Sports
      • Video Games
    • Bizarre Bulletin
      • Misconceptions
      • The Bizarre
      • The Paranormal
      • The Unexplained
    • Lifestyle
      • Animals/Pets
      • Fashion
      • Food
      • Health/Medicine
      • Home Improvement
      • Horoscopes
      • Travel
    • Science & Tech
      • Inventions
      • Nature
      • Vehicles
    • Society
      • Business and Economics
      • Crime
      • Military
      • Politics
      • Religion
      • Society
    • About
      • Welcome to Our Site!
      • This Day in History
      • Table of Contents: A History of the World
      • Online History Textbooks
      • A Guide to Some of Our Favorite Scholars and Educators
      • Advance Screenings and Movie Reviews Archive
      • Schedule of Video Adaptations of Our Articles
    • Friends
      • Armchair History TV
      • Fact Fiend
      • RealClearHistory
      • Simply Charly
      • TopTenz
      • ​Unique Interpretations
    History and Headlines
    You are at:Home»Arts & Entertainment»Cinema & TV»All Three Cinematic Versions of Dune Compared!
    Cinema & TV

    All Three Cinematic Versions of Dune Compared!

    Major DanBy Major DanNovember 22, 2021No Comments7 Mins Read
    Email Facebook LinkedIn Pinterest Reddit Telegram Tumblr Twitter VKontakte WhatsApp
    Dune

    A Brief History

    On November 22, 2021, we take a look at the three major motion pictures based on the 1965 Frank Herbert science fiction novel, Dune, along with the television miniseries on the same topic.

    Digging Deeper

    The first effort to produce a Dune themed motion picture came as early as 1973, with the Alejandro Jodorowsky proposed film prepared to feature an incredible cast of major stars and celebrities, including Orson Welles, Salvador Dali, Hervé Villechaize (the actor that played “Tattoo” on the television series Fantasy Island), Gloria Swanson, Geraldine Chaplin and Mick Jagger.  Music would be supplied by luminaries such as Peter Gabriel and Pink Floyd among others.  Jodorowsky created in incredible and vast vision for a film that would feature the greatest special effects and various professionals in the industry as well as lasting a stunning 14 hour run time!  Not surprisingly, finances became the limiting factor and the ambitious plan was ultimately scrapped.  (A documentary about this effort to produce a Dune magnum opus called Jodorowsky’s Dune was released theatrically in 2014.)

    In 1984, we finally got the first major film adaptation of the story, produced by Dino De Laurentiis and Universal Pictures and directed by David Lynch.  Starring a young Kyle MacLachlan as Paul Atreides (the protagonist and hero of the story) and Kenneth McMillan as the thoroughly disgusting caricature of Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (the antagonist and main villain), the film had great promise but failed to deliver on expectations.  Despite a flashy display of color and visual spectacle, the characters and acting were cartoonish, and despite the big budget (for its time) of about $42 million, the US box office gross was a disappointing failure of only $31 to $38 million.  Did we mention the film featured rock star Sting as Feyd-Rautham the creepy nephew of the Baron?  What a pair those 2 made!  Other notable cast members included Max von Sydow, Sean Young, Patrick Stewart, Dean Stockwell and Jose Ferrer among the famous names.  This version of Dune took us all the way through the story to the final triumph of Paul Atreides.  At least the movie was nice and bright and easy to see what was going on, unlike the modern technique of making everything dark, shadowy and seemingly in sepia mode.  Despite its poor box office and our criticism of the acting, the movie is actually pretty entertaining, if for nothing else than the characters of Baron Harkonnen and his creepy nephew.  Running time was a longish 137 minutes, though as an icon of science fiction we have to give it a pass on length.

    Paramount Pictures teased us in 2008 with a proposed remake of the tale, but cancelled the project by 2011.

    The television miniseries Frank Herbert’s Dune came next, in the year 2001 (with a Director’s Cut in 2002), a three-part production starring Alec Newman as Paul Atreides and Ian McNeice as a fat and redolent, but not as gross and creepy Baron Harkonnen.  (Perhaps you are familiar with McNeice playing the “newsreader” in HBO’s 2005 to 2007 series, Rome.)  Star power was provided by featuring William Hurt as Duke Leto, though most of the rest of the cast were actors of non-American roots and unlikely to be familiar to most American viewers.  Acting was considerably better in this version of the story.  Directed by John Harrison and produced by Hallmark Entertainment, the $20 million series was originally aired on the Sci Fi Channel (now called SyFy) of cable television.  Original running time was 265 minutes, though a Director’s Cut was later available on video that added a half hour of material.  Alas, despite superior directing and acting, the miniseries irritated us with the aforementioned trend toward making television and movie production a poorly lit, hard to make out fuzzy detail affair.  A story that cries out for bright, colorful eye-candy images left us feeling somewhat subdued by the drab visuals.  Otherwise, the production was excellent and brought us to the conclusion of the story.  Not surprisingly, the series garnered a huge audience for Sci Fi and was a major success and is still among the top Sci Fi shows of all time.  In fact, this adaptation won a pair of Emmy Awards. A sequel to the miniseries was aired in 2003 under the title Frank Herbert’s Children of Dune, also a successful miniseries.      

    Which brings us up to date (2021) for the latest film adaptation of Dune, this time billed simply as Dune, though on screen the title reads Dune: Part One.  You ask, “Why do they refer to this film as Part One?”  Because the darn 156 minute movie does not take us all the way to the victory of Paul Atreides!  That left us feeling kind of unfinished and unfulfilled at the end of the film.  Directed by Denis Villeneuve (with sci fi major films Blade Runner 2049 and Arrival under his belt), a French-Canadian film maker with legitimate science fiction chops, the Legendary Pictures film was released in September of 2021, and has already more than doubled its $165 million budget at the box office.  Filming took place in exotic locations such as Hungary, Norway, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, and apparently on the planet Arrakis!  Not only was the box office take considerably better than the 1984 version, but the critical reception was also likewise quite positive.  We have to agree that the film has superior directing, acting, costuming, special effects and general cinematography, but once again we were dismayed by the many, many “dark” scenes seemingly filmed in the shadows.  (We like bright, clear and colorful films.  Perhaps other viewers are not as picky.)  This time the iconic role of the Baron was played by Stellan Skarsgård (Baron Vladimir Harkonnen), nowhere near as creepy as the first film or the miniseries character, though ably and convincingly played nonetheless.  Professional wrestler Dave Bautista plays the Baron’s nephew, a departure from the weaselly portrayals in the other films.  Once again, the main hero, Paul Atreides is played by a less than imposing actor, this time Timothée Chalamet who seems to be several years younger than his real life age (25 as of 2021).  Star power is enhanced with Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem, Jason Momoa, Zendaya, and Oscar Isaac.  Some cameos are thrown in, including British singer Marianne Faithfull (“As Tears Go By” and the onetime girlfriend of Mick Jagger.)  Much like the television miniseries, the 2021 version of Dune is an excellent overall production and is worthy of the franchise, though of course we will have to see the “second half” of the film to bring it to its logical conclusion.

    All three of these major adaptations of Dune are worthy of your time and attention and we think are quite entertaining.  Our recommendation is to watch all three in order (we did).  If you are a science fiction fan, the latest iteration is of course a “must see.”  Enjoy!

    Question for students (and subscribers): What is your favorite adaptation of Dune?  Please let us know in the comments section below this article.

    If you liked this article and would like to receive notification of new articles, please feel welcome to subscribe to History and Headlines by liking us on Facebook and becoming one of our patrons!

    Your readership is much appreciated!

    Historical Evidence

    For more information, please see…

    Herbert, Frank. Dune Complete Series Set, 6 Books. Ace Books, 2020.

    Lapointe, Tanya. The Art and Soul of Dune.  Insight Editions, 2021.

    The featured image in this article, a poster for Dune (1984), DVD cover image for the Sci Fi Channel’s 2000 miniseries Frank Herbert’s Dune, and a poster for Dune (2021), are used in an article that provides critical commentary on the films and miniseries in question on a website used for education purposes whose servers are located in the United States per fair use under the copyright law of the United States.

    Share. Email Facebook LinkedIn Pinterest Reddit Telegram Twitter Tumblr
    Previous ArticleRittenhouse Case Confirms Stupidity of US Justice System!
    Next Article Heroes and Villains of November 2021
    Major Dan

    Major Dan is a retired veteran of the United States Marine Corps. He served during the Cold War and has traveled to many countries around the world. Prior to his military service, he graduated from Cleveland State University, having majored in sociology. Following his military service, he worked as a police officer eventually earning the rank of captain prior to his retirement.

    Related Posts

    R.I.P. Lance Reddick (1962-2023)

    March 23, 2023

    April 4, 2023: Your Chance to Preview Air

    March 19, 2023

    History Short: Fairytale Marriages that did Not Last

    March 9, 2023
    Follow Us!
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    • Patreon
    Sign Up For Our Newsletter!
    Most Recent

    This Day in History on March 24th

    March 24, 2023

    History Short: Has Any US President Ever Been Arrested?

    March 24, 2023

    This Day in History on March 23rd

    March 23, 2023

    R.I.P. Lance Reddick (1962-2023)

    March 23, 2023

    This Day in History on March 22nd

    March 22, 2023
    This Day in History Video

    Advertisements




    Amazon Affiliate Disclosure Statement

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases via links in the “Historical Evidence” sections of articles.

    About HistoryAndHeadlines.com

    Thanks for visiting History and Headlines!  This site exists primarily for educational purposes and is intended as a resource for Dr. Zar’s students.  Articles are mostly written by either Dr. Zar or his dad (Major Dan).  To any guest readers, please keep that in mind when commenting on articles.   Thank you!

    We try to present our students with historical topics that are both diverse and a bit out of the ordinary.  Our motto is “We try until we succeed!”

    Contact us at admin@historyandheadlines.com

    Guidelines and Policies for Images used on This Site, as well as for Guest and Sponsored Articles, and Other Terms of Use

    Privacy Statement

    © 2023 History and Headlines

    All-Time Most Commented

    July 28, 1866: 18 Year Old Girl Wins Commission to Sculpt Statue of Lincoln (A Truly Great American Woman)

    July 28, 2014

    December 24, 1865: Birth of the Ku Klux Klan

    December 24, 2015

    December 25, 1868: President Johnson Pardons all Confederate Veterans

    December 25, 2015

    February 5, 1909: First Plastic Invented was called Bakelite!

    February 5, 2014

    November 23, 1876: “Boss” Tweed Turned Over to Authorities

    November 23, 2013
    Recommended Book
    © 2023 ThemeSphere. Designed by ThemeSphere.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

    We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website.

    You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings.

    History and Headlines
    Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

    Strictly Necessary Cookies

    Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

    If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.