‘Dune’ Star Says to Read the Book Before Seeing the Movie – Here’s His Full ‘Dune’ Viewing Order
Denis Villeneuve is bringing Frank Herbert’s 1965 Dune novel to the silver screen. As one of the greatest science fiction stories of all time, he certainly has some large shoes to fill. It follows Paul Atreides, who sets out on a journey to protect his family and his people. Chaos erupts over the demand of ‘the spice,’ which has the ability to unlock humans’ greatest potential. David Dastmalchian plays Piter de Vries, who has specific recommendations to prepare for the upcoming science-fiction epic.
All ‘Dune’ content
Herbert’s original novel started it all, but the universe has certainly expanded from there. There are five sequels, including Dune Messiah, Children of Dune, God Emperor of Dune, Heretics of Dune, and Chapterhouse: Dune.
Filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky failed to make his feature film adaptation in the 1970s as a result of growing budget concerns. A 1984 film made by David Lynch ultimately came to fruition, starring Kyle MacLachlan, Patrick Stewart, Brad Dourif, among others.
Next up was the release of Syfy’s Frank Herbert’s Dune in 2000. John Harrison wrote and directed the three-part mini-series. Then, Frank Herbert’s Children of Dune was the follow-up in 2003, which explores the second and third novel installments.
The release of the documentary Jodorowsky’s Dune was in 2013. Further, it tells the story of Jodorowsky’s failed project. It premiered at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, summing up the journey of the rights to the story.
Villeneuve’s project marks the third movie adaptation of Herbert’s novel. In addition to Dastmalchian, the cast includes Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Zendaya, among others.
However, fans have deemed the classic source material as unadaptable. None of the adaptations thus far have widely satisfied audiences.
David Dastmalchian suggests an order to the ‘Dune’ experience
Dastmalchian explained his love for the source material in an interview with Screen Rant. Lynch’s film adaptation blew him away, but this isn’t the first time that the actor has expressed his love for the story.
He has a specific recommendation for how he suggests audiences approach Villeneuve’s Dune. The release date is Oct. 22, which is still plenty of time for audiences to read Herbert’s original novel. Dastmalchian referred to it as “Dune Book September” before the October release date. Then, it transforms into “Dune Movie October,” where audiences will go and see the movie in the IMAX format.
After people get the chance to see the new adaption, Dastmalchian said that they should explore the other Dune properties. He continued: “This is me talking: read the book, then go see Denis’ film, and then in November you could do Lynch’s, the Syfy version and the documentary Jodorowsky’s Dune.”
He emphasized that this order will allow audiences to have deeper, more informed discussions on the series.
The future of the franchise
Villeneuve’s Dune is only the first part. Consequently, there will ideally be a part two. However, Warner Bros. hasn’t greenlit a sequel as of yet. Dune: Sisterhood is an HBO Max prequel series that’s currently in development. Diane Ademu-John (Empire) joined the project over the summer as the showrunner.
Only time will tell if Villeneuve’s adaptation will succeed critically and financially. It has big shoes to fill, although the previous adaptations haven’t left fans with very high expectations. However, it wouldn’t be the first time that Villeneuve managed to impress fans of existing IP. He made Blade Runner 2049, which did more than exceed expectations. If Dune: Part One is a success, it’s more than likely that Warner Bros. will order the follow-up film.
Dune: Part One will make its world premiere at the 78th Venice International Film Festival on Sept. 3. It will hit theaters and HBO Max on Oct. 22.
