David Lynch has ‘zero interest’ in Denis Villeneuve’s Dune due to ‘total failure’ of his own adaption

Director recalled the ‘heartache’ of his 1984 version of the sci-fi story

Director David Lynch has said he has “zero interest” in watching Denis Villeneuve’​s upcoming Dune remake, branding his own 1984 take on the sci-fi story a “total failure”.

Villeneuve is in the director’s chair for the latest adaption of Frank Herbert’s 1965 novel and spoke last week about the need to split the project into two movies.

The French-Canadian also called the upcoming film “by far the most difficult thing I’ve done in my life”, a notion that echoes Lynch’s feelings towards his version of the story.

“I have zero interest in Dune,” Lynch told The Hollywood Reporter. “Because it was a heartache for me.

“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.”

Lynch’s Dune was both a critical and box office failure, grossing $30.9 million from a $40m budget.

“I like certain parts of it very much — but it was a total failure for me,” Lynch added. “I said I’ve got zero interest.”

Villeneuve, meanwhile, explained to Vanity Fair that the difficulty in making his own adaption stemmed from the fact the book “tackles politics, religion, ecology, spirituality – and with a lot of characters”.

Scheduled to land on 18 December, the all-star cast of Villeneuve’s Dune includes Timothée Chalamet as the book’s protagonist Paul Atreides. Oscar Isaac will play his father, Duke Leto Atreides, while Rebecca Ferguson will play his mother, Lady Jessica.

Villeneuve’s filmography includes Blade Runner 2049, Prisoners, Arrival, Sicario and Enemy.

Lynch’s black and white short film What Did Jack Do? is available to stream on Netflix now.