Summary
David Lynch shares his one major regret with 1984’sDune. Based on the 1965 novel by Frank Herbert,Lynch’sDunestarred Kyle MacLachlan as Paul Atreides, chronicling the young lord’s fight against the villainous Harkonnens on the planet of Arrakis. The film was infamously divisive, earning mostly poor reviews from critics and failing to make any kind of impact at the box office.
During a recent interview with Rachel Martin forNPR’sWild Cardpodcast, Lynch reflects on his experience makingDune. The director is asked about the failure that he learned the most from during his career, and he quickly mentions his troubled 1984 adaptation, revealing thatone of his biggest regrets with the film is not pushing for final cut. Check out Lynch’s full comment below:
“My filmDune. I knew already one should have final cut before signing on to do a film. But for some reason, I thought everything would be OK, and I didn’t put final cut in my contract. And as it turned out,Dunewasn’t the film I wanted to make, because I didn’t have a final say.
“So that’s a lesson I knew even before, but now there’s no way. Why would anyone work for three years on something that wasn’t yours? Why? Why do that? Why? I died a death. And it was all my fault for not knowing to put that in the contract.”
The Failure of 1984’s Dune Explained
David Lynch’s Adaptation Didn’t Connect With Audience Or Critics
Herbert’sDunehas long been considered unadaptable, and one of the major reasons for this is just how badly Lynch’s version was received. The film wasn’t a hit with critics, and its score onRotten Tomatoesis a lackluster 37%. Reviews varied, but the consensus is generally that, unlikeDenis Villeneuve’s acclaimedDunemovies, Lynch’s version doesn’t capture the grandiosity or epic scope of Herbert’s story.
After the success of his first two films, Villeneuve is now indevelopment onDune: Part Three.
The Rotten Tomatoes audience score for Herbert’sDuneis a more respectable 65%, suggesting general moviegoers enjoyed the film more. Rotten Tomatoes wasn’t around at the time of the movie’s release, however, meaning, unlike the critics' score, which does take into account reviews written in 1984, the audience score will have come from viewers experiencing the film sometime after the website’s founding in 1998.
Why A David Lynch’s Director’s Cut Of Dune Will Never Happen
Despite continued interest in the film, director David Lynch will never revisit his 1984 Dune movie. Here’s why there won’t be a director’s cut.
Audiences, at least at the time, weren’t really connecting with Lynch’sDune, and the film was a notable box office failure. Made on a budget of about $45 million, the sci-fi film made only $30.9 million worldwide. It’s not known if Lynch having final cut would have drastically improved things for 1984’sDune, but it’s clear that the director certainly has some big regrets about the film.
Dune
Cast
Dune, released on July 20, 2025, is a science fiction film directed by David Lynch. Set in a distant future, it follows the journey of Paul Atreides on the desert planet of Arrakis, where the precious spice Melange is found. This substance is pivotal for space travel and consciousness expansion.
