David Lynch has "zero interest" in new Dune adaptation, labels his 1984 version a "total failure"

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The Twin Peaks creator does not look back favourably on his version of Dune

(Image credit: Universal Studios)

Acclaimed filmmaker David Lynch has reflected on his 1984 adaptation of Dune and has spoken about Denis Villeneuve's upcoming version Frank Herbert’s story, which the director has “zero interest” in. 

“I have zero interest in Dune,” Lynch said when asked by The Hollywood Reporter if he had any opinion on the recent first wave of photos that emerged from the upcoming released.

When pushed further, he opened up about why. “Because it was a heartache for me,” Lynch revealed. “It was a failure and I didn’t have final cut. I’ve told this story a billion times. It’s not the film I wanted to make. I like certain parts of it very much – but it was a total failure for me.”

Lynch's movie was famously panned by critics – one of his few projects that received negative feedback – and bombed at the box office. To document the myriad of problems that beset Lynch’s Dune would require a tome as dense and packed as Herbert’s sci-fi classic itself. In summary, it was an unwieldy project that suffered numerous issues, not least of which was Lynch’s original version having a runtime of three hours – the theatrical version ended up 136 minutes long.

While the 1984 version of Dune may live long in the memory for all the wrong reasons, a miniseries released in 2000 eventually course-corrected and generated some goodwill. Meanwhile, Villeneuve’s upcoming effort is highly anticipated and will be split into two parts, with the first set to release on December 18.

David Lynch may not welcome it, but Dune is primed to take over once more later this year, over a quarter of a century from his “failure.”

Bradley Russell
Bradley Russell
Senior Entertainment Writer

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.