This week sees the release of the much-anticipated Dune: Part Two. Directed by Denis Villeneuve, the film will complete his adaption of Frank Herbert’s classic sci-fi novel. Like the first part, this is a movie that will definitely be best experienced on the big screen!
To mark the occasion, I took a look at what we have in the way of adaptions of Dune and other related media.
Dune
After a lengthy development that initially began in 2008, Denis Villeneuve’s take on Dune arrived on screens in 2021, having been delayed by the COVID pandemic. Starring Timothee Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Issac, Stellan Skarsgard and Dave Bautista, it was greeted with critical acclaim and commercial success.
Frank Herbert’s Dune
A four-and-a-half-hour miniseries produced by the Sci-Fi Channel and broadcast in 2000. This version was directed by John Harrison and starred Alex Newman, William Hurt and Saskia Reeves. This link refers to the DVD , but both this title and its follow-up Children of Dune can also be viewed using Kanopy.
Dune : a place beyond your dreams : a movie beyond your imagination
The first version to make it to screens was released in 1984. It was directed by David Lynch and starred Kyle McLachlan, Max von Sydow, Patrick Stewart and Sting. Although not a success at the time it has nevertheless endured as a cult favourite.
Dune. Part one : the photography / James, Chiabella
“From the cliffs of Norway to the deserts of Jordan, photographer Chiabella James was on set to capture every moment of Dune, director Denis Villeneuve’s Oscar-nominated sci-fi epic based on Frank Herbert’s iconic novel. Evocative and visually stunning, Dune: The Photography takes readers into the very heart of one of the most thrilling film productions in recent memory.” (Adapted from Catalogue)
A masterpiece in disarray : David Lynch’s Dune : an oral history / Evry, Max
“Following his underground hit Eraserhead and critically acclaimed The Elephant Man, visionary filmmaker David Lynch set his sights on bringing Frank Herbert’s beloved sci-fi novel Dune to the screen. The project had already vexed directors such as Alejandro Jodorowsky (El Topo) and Ridley Scott (Alien). But by the early ’80s Universal Pictures was prepared to give Lynch the keys to the kingdom – and the highest budget in the studio’s history at the time – so that he could lend his surrealistic chops to this sprawling story of feuding space dynasties. Max Evry’s A Masterpiece in Disarray takes you back to 1984 with the deepest dive yet into the cult classic that is David Lynch’s Dune” (Adapted from Catalogue)
Dune : the graphic novel. Book 1 / Herbert, Brian
“A stunning blend of adventure and mysticism, environmentalism, and politics, Dune is a powerful, fantastical tale that takes an unprecedented look into our universe and is transformed by the graphic novel format. In the first volume of a three-book trilogy encompassing the original novel, Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson’s adaptation retains the story’s integrity, and Raúl Allén and Patricia Martín’s magnificent illustrations, along with cover art by Bill Sienkiewicz, bring the book to life for a new generation of readers.” (Adapted from Catalogue)
Dune : the graphic novel. Book 2, Muad’Dib / Herbert, Brian
“In Dune: The Graphic Novel, Book 2: Muad’Dib, the second of three volumes adapting Frank Herbert’s 1965 novel, Dune, young Paul Atreides and his mother, the Lady Jessica, find themselves stranded in the deep desert of Arrakis. Betrayed by their own physician, the treacherous Dr. Yueh, and destroyed by their greatest enemy, the Harkonnens, Paul and Jessica must find the mysterious Fremen or perish. As they continue to unravel the closely guarded secrets of the planet, they each face choices that will alter their fates – and their very lives – forever.” (Adapted from Catalogue)
Dune : original motion picture soundtrack
Utilising elements of orchestral, rock and folk music and employing a huge variety of instruments (including one created specifically for the film using Inconel 718, an alloy used in cryogenics and space travel), Hans Zimmers score for Dune was an ambitious and acclaimed work in its own right. The CD is available in our collection.
Dune. Imperium / Dennen, Paul
“Arrakis. Dune. Desert planet. Raise your banner above the vast wasteland before you. As the Great Houses of the Landsraad marshal their forces and their spies, whom will you influence, and whom will you betray? A tyrannical Emperor. The secretive Bene Gesserit. The shrewd Spacing Guild. The ferocious Fremen of the Deep Desert. The power of the Imperium can be yours, but war is not the only way to claim it. ‘Dune: Imperium’ blends deck-building and worker placement in a deeply thematic new strategy game where the fate of the Empire hangs on your decisions. Will you seek political allies or rely upon military might? Economic strength or subtle intrigues? A council seat… or a sharpened blade? The cards are dealt. The choice is yours. The Imperium waits.” (Catalogue)
