Val Kilmer almost played Paul Atreides and other tidbits from the oral history of David Lynch’s Dune

Director Denis Villeneuve has had great success with his recent Dune films, which star Timothée Chalamet as the main character Paul Atreides. But Villeneuve wasn’t the first person to tackle this story. David Lynch’s 1984 adaptation of Dune is a cinematic anomaly that has long fascinated fans and critics alike, myself included. Known for its sprawling deserts, massive sandworms and bizarre visuals like Guild Navigators floating in spice-induced fog, the film stands as a polarizing entry in Lynch’s filmography compared to entries like Blue Velvet or even Twin Peaks.

Despite its status as a commercial and critical failure, the 1984 film Dune has garnered a cult following over the years. Now, film writer Max Evry’s book, A Masterpiece in Disarray: David Lynch’s Dune – An Oral History, offers a detailed exploration of this eccentric project, repositioning the film in the wider landscape of science fiction cinema.