1984 film by David Lynch

Dune_1984_Poster.jpg
Dune
Dune
Dune
What We Know About 'Dune' ... So Far
Dune is a 1984 American epic space opera film written and directed by David Lynch, and based on the 1965 novel of the same name by Frank Herbert. It was filmed at … Wikipedia
Ratings
65%
Rotten Tomatoes
50K votes
6.2 / 10.0
IMDb
191K votes
41.0
Metacritic
20 votes
Factsheet
Directed by David Lynch
Screenplay by David Lynch
Based on Dune
by Frank Herbert
Factsheet
Directed by David Lynch
Screenplay by David Lynch
Based on Dune
by Frank Herbert
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Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Dune_(1984_film)
Dune (1984 film) - Wikipedia
1 day ago - De Laurentiis commissioned Herbert to write a new screenplay in 1978; the script Herbert turned in was 175 pages long, the equivalent of nearly three hours of screen time. De Laurentiis then hired director Ridley Scott in 1979, with Rudy Wurlitzer writing the screenplay and H.
Discussions

David Lynch's 1984 Dune is unironically a very well done film and I have little idea why critics were so up in arms over this movie. (Opinion Essay so buckle up)
David Lynch is incapable of making a movie that's not worth watching and obsessively analyzing. That said, I feel like this movie didn't quite know who it was aiming to please. (Denis obviously went with broad appeal while not turning off all but the most insufferable "stick to the books" freaks). Lynch's Dune is absolutely impenetrable to anyone who hasn't read the book and anyone who is a fan of the book will be annoyed in how it basically completely misses the point of the book. I'm sadly unable to watch the movie with fresh eyes, but I certainly still see a lot to like about it and even "failures" can be fascinating and are often worth seeing. Plus it's got space pugs. SPACE PUGS. More on reddit.com
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March 10, 2024
Dune 1984 Editing Question
Is Alan Smithee credited as the director at the beginning of the one you just watched? More on reddit.com
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May 25, 2023
A couple of questions about the adaption of Dune from 1984...

The 1984 movie was directed by David Lynch. The director's cut was close to 3 hours long, but the producer forced him to cut it shorter, to 2:17, for the theatrical release.

The total amount of film was about 5 hours, but that included multiple takes. There never was a 5-hour version of the movie.

Anonymous editors for the SciFi cable TV channel (now SyFy) assembled a longer version that included several cut scenes and a new (cheesy) introduction. It's easy to spot the cut scenes they incorporated -- nobody (who should) has blue-in-blue eyes.

David Lynch was so angry about the TV version that he took his name off it. "Alan Smithee" is Hollywood code for "The director disowned this movie." This "extended edition" has also been released on DVD.

There are fan edited versions, but they're hard to find... copyright and all that.

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Fandom
dune.fandom.com › wiki › Dune_(1984_film)
Dune (1984 film)
4 days ago - Upon its release, director David Lynch distanced himself from the project, stating that pressure from both producers and financiers restrained his artistic control and denied him final cut.
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Substack
textualvariations.substack.com › p › lynch-dune-4hourcut
On the Many Cuts of "Dune" (1984) - by Mikhail Skoptsov
November 22, 2021 - In this article, I want to discuss three different versions of Dune, the maligned 1984 arthouse blockbuster that director David Lynch credits with convincing him to never make a movie again without having secured final cut.
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IMDb
imdb.com › title › tt0087182 › fullcredits
Dune (1984) - Full cast & crew - IMDb
December 12, 2025 - Dune (1984) - Cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more.
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Rotten Tomatoes
rottentomatoes.com › m › dune_1984
Dune (1984) | Rotten Tomatoes
December 14, 1984 - A commendable attempt by director David Lynch. He has managed in the main to successfully condense Herbert's saga. ... Ultimately, Dune is a most magnificent flying machine that can't quite get off the ground.
Release date   Dec 14, 1984
Director   David Lynch
Rating: 65/100 ​ - ​ 50K votes
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Letterboxd
letterboxd.com › film › dune
Dune (1984)
In the year 10,191, the most precious substance in the universe is the spice Melange. The spice extends life. The spice expands consciousness. The spice is vital to space travel. The spice exists on only one planet in the entire universe, the vast desert planet Arrakis, also known as Dune.
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Fantasy & Sci-Fi
fantasy-faction.com › 2021 › dune-1984-directed-by-david-lynch
Dune (1984) directed by David Lynch
December 28, 2021 - Back in 1984, David Lynch made an adaptation of Frank Herbert’s science fiction classic Dune. It was a troubled production, and Lynch’s original version ran to three hours, which was then edited down to a two-hour film, resulting in a dense and awkward film being released in cinemas.
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Space.com
space.com › entertainment › space movies & shows
David Lynch's 'Dune' at 40: David Lynch's 1984 adaptation is a true spice oddity | Space
December 30, 2024 - Dune: Part Two" has completed Denis Villeneuve's spice odyssey in box-office smashing style (until the director gets round to making " Dune: Messiah", at least), it's more obvious than ever that David Lynch's 1984, single-film adaptation of ...
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TheWrap
thewrap.com › home › ‘dune’ director denis villeneuve says he was ‘destabilized’ by david lynch’s 1984 version: ‘things were missing’
'Dune' Director Denis Villeneuve Says He Was 'Destabilized' by David Lynch's 1984 Version: 'Things Were Missing'
March 1, 2024 - Denis Villeneuve knew two things when he was 13: He wanted to be a filmmaker, and he wanted to adapt Frank Herbert’s 1965 sci-fi epic “Dune.” So he was especially excited in 1984 when David Lynch’s adaptation starring Kyle MacLachlan ...
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MUBI
mubi.com › en › films › dune › cast
Dune (1984) - Cast & Crew on MUBI
Director · Screenplay · Novel · Cast · Cinematography · Music · Production Design · Producer · Executive Producer · Editing · Costume Design · Art Department · Special Effects · Sort by: Relevant · Most Popular · Follow us on · About · Ways to Watch ·
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Cinephile Corner
cinephilecorner.com › home › movie reviews › dune (1984)
Dune (1984) Review: David Lynch Crafts Bizarre Adaptation of Frank Herbert's Classic Novel
November 8, 2025 - Score: 5/10 · Cast: Kyle MacLachlan, Francesca Annis, Patrick Stewart, Linda Hunt, José Ferrer, Kenneth McMillan, Richard Jordan, Virginia Madsen, Sting, Jürgen Prochnow, Sean Young · Director: David Lynch ·
Release date   Jan 01, 1984
Actors   David LynchFrancesca AnnisJosé Ferrer
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IMDb
imdb.com › title › tt0087182
Dune (1984) ⭐ 6.2 | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
December 14, 1984 - Dune: Directed by David Lynch. With Kyle MacLachlan, Virginia Madsen, Francesca Annis, Leonardo Cimino. A Duke's son leads desert warriors against the galactic emperor and his father's evil nemesis to free their desert world from the emperor's rule.
Release date   Dec 14, 1984
Duration   02:17:00
Director   David Lynch
Rating: 6.2/10 ​ - ​ 191K votes
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Dead End Follies
deadendfollies.com › blog › movie-review-david-lynch-dune
(Revisionist) Movie Review : Dune (1984) — Dead End Follies
April 23, 2020 - He was given the job by his old producer pal Dino De Laurentiis after the critical success of Elephant Man and no one really understood the whole Lynch persona thing back then. His most important films were well ahead of him and De Laurentiis thought he’d make the transition into big budget films like most young directors would.
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MovieWeb
movieweb.com › home › movie news › 'dune' director honors late auteur david lynch for his polarizing 1984 adaptation of the sci-fi epic
'Dune' Director Honors Late Auteur David Lynch and His Polarizing 1984 Adaptation of the Sci-Fi Epic
February 4, 2025 - Denis Villeneuve, the sci-fi visionary behind films like Blade Runner 2049, Arrival, and, of course, the modern adaptation of Frank Herbert's Dune, has paid tribute to David Lynch, his filmmaking colleague and partner in the rocky territory ...
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CBR
cbr.com › home › movie news › dune: why (and how) david lynch disowned his 1984 film
Dune: Why (and How) David Lynch Disowned His 1984 Film
September 16, 2020 - Before that, in 1984, after years of troubled pre-production, David Lynch released his adaptation of the Frank Herbert classic. However, Dune is not a film Lynch has many fond memories of.
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Vulture
vulture.com › article › david-lynch-dune-beautiful-sci-fi-disaster.html
David Lynch’s Dune Is a Beautiful Sci-fi Disaster
“That’s the big lesson,” Lynch later reflected. “Don’t make a film if it can’t be the film you want to make. It’s a sick joke, and it’ll kill you.” Even with all its disasters, from pacing to Sting, Lynch’s 1984 journey to Dune remains an absorbing and enlightening spectacle of potential.
Published   February 29, 2024