Lost Dune Script Unearthed, But Fans May Not Rejoice

Ridley Scott's Lost Dune: A 40-Year-Old Secret Unveiled

This week marks forty years since David Lynch's Dune premiered. Initially a box office flop, it's since cultivated a devoted cult following. This stands in stark contrast to Denis Villeneuve's recent big-screen adaptation of Frank Herbert's iconic novel. Ridley Scott, famed director of Alien and Blade Runner, was initially attached to the project before David Lynch took the helm. Until now, details about Scott's version, developed over seven to eight months, remained scarce.

Thanks to T.D. Nguyen, a 133-page October 1980 draft of Scott's abandoned Dune, penned by Rudy Wurlitzer (Two-Lane Blacktop, Walker), has been unearthed from the Coleman Luck archives at Wheaton College.

Upon Scott's involvement, Frank Herbert's extensive, two-part screenplay – excessively faithful and cinematically unwieldy – already existed. Scott selected a handful of scenes, then enlisted Wurlitzer to craft a complete rewrite. Like Herbert's and Villeneuve's versions, it was envisioned as the first part of a two-film saga.

Wurlitzer described the project as exceptionally challenging, requiring more time for outlining than for the final script. He asserted that while they adhered to the book's spirit, they refined it, infusing a distinct sensibility. Scott himself later confirmed the script's quality.

Numerous factors contributed to Scott's Dune falling apart: the death of his brother, his reluctance to film in Mexico (De Laurentiis's demand), a ballooning budget exceeding $50 million, and the allure of Filmways' Blade Runner project. However, a crucial factor, as noted in A Masterpiece in Disarray – David Lynch's Dune, was the script's failure to garner universal acclaim.

Was Wurlitzer's adaptation a cinematic misstep, or simply too dark, violent, and politically charged for commercial success? A detailed script analysis allows readers to form their own conclusions. Both Wurlitzer and Scott declined to comment for this article.

A Different Paul Atreides

Scott's Dune opens with a dream sequence depicting apocalyptic armies, foreshadowing Paul's destiny. The script's visual descriptions, characteristic of Scott's style, are strikingly evocative. Paul Atreides, unlike Timothée Chalamet's portrayal, is a seven-year-old with long blonde hair, undergoing a test by the Reverend Mother. His Litany Against Fear is intercut with Jessica's, highlighting their psychic bond. While Lynch's version featured imagery of a burning hand, Scott's version is explicitly not real.

This Paul displays "savage innocence." He retrieves a sword using The Voice and nearly kills Duncan Idaho to test a warrior's vigilance. Stephen Scarlata, producer of Jodorowsky's Dune, notes that Wurlitzer's Paul is more assertive, actively taking charge. A flash-forward depicts his transformation into a master swordsman by age 21, surpassing Duncan Idaho. Scarlata prefers Lynch's portrayal, emphasizing Paul's vulnerability as a source of tension.

This version of Duncan, replacing Gurney, is broader, with white hair and a beard, possessing a humor reminiscent of Jason Momoa's portrayal.

The Emperor's Demise

A pivotal twist involves Jessica witnessing the Emperor's death, a departure from the novel. Ian Fried, screenwriter of Spectral, highlights this scene's impact. The Emperor's death serves as the catalyst for the events that follow, a significant alteration from the source material.

The Emperor's death is witnessed in a mystical setting, where the Great Houses gather. The deceased Emperor speaks through a medium, bequeathing Arrakis to Duke Leto. Baron Harkonnen, through Feyd-Rautha, proposes a spice-production agreement, which Leto rejects. A line of dialogue closely mirrors a famous line from Lynch's film: "Who controls Dune controls the Spice, and who controls the Spice controls the Universe."

The Guild Navigator

The Atreides family's departure from Caladan aboard a Guild Heighliner features a Navigator, visualized as an elongated, humanoid creature. The Navigator, consuming a pill, falls into a coma, guiding the ship through musical intonations. Fried notes this as a missed opportunity in Villeneuve's adaptation.

Arrakeen is depicted as a medieval fortress, with Bosch-like Dew Collectors and a strong emphasis on swords and feudal customs. Liet Kynes introduces Chani to the Duke and Paul, emphasizing Arrakis' ecological devastation. Their ornithopter flight through a factory ship mirrors the dystopian cityscapes of Blade Runner. A worm attack leads to Kynes and Chani venturing into the desert on foot. Shadout Mapes, possessing three breasts, gifts Jessica a crysknife. Arakeen's streets are portrayed as squalid, highlighting class disparity.

Urban Conflict

A new scene depicts Paul and Duncan engaging in a bar fight in Arakeen, culminating in Paul killing an enemy with a finger jab. Scarlata finds this scene out of character, making Paul seem too invincible too early. They encounter Stilgar, who decapitates a Harkonnen agent. Jessica levitates during meditation, and she and the Duke conceive a child.

The Deep Desert

Paul and Jessica's desert escape is intense, involving a crash landing and a struggle for survival. They encounter a sandworm, mirroring Villeneuve's adaptation. However, this draft omits the Paul/Jessica incestuous relationship, a point of contention with Herbert and De Laurentiis. While no explicit union occurs, there's a moment where they lie together on a sand dune.

They seek refuge in a cave within a giant worm carcass. They encounter Fremen, and Paul duels Jamis, killing him. Jessica gives Paul advice and hands him the crysknife. Chani accepts Jamis's death and Paul as her new mate. A Water of Life ceremony, led by a three-breasted shaman, features a sandworm and results in Jessica becoming the new Reverend Mother. The script ends with Paul and Jessica accepted by the Fremen, foreshadowing Paul's future role.

A Different Interpretation

Herbert's intention was to highlight the dangers of charismatic leaders. Wurlitzer's script presents Paul as a more ruthless figure, accepting his destiny as a dictator. The ecological, political, and spiritual aspects are given equal weight, unlike Lynch's and Villeneuve's adaptations. The script's dark and mature tone, deviating significantly from the novel, likely contributed to its rejection.

The script's strengths include its visual storytelling, correcting pacing issues present in other adaptations. The Emperor's death, rather than his plan, serves as the central conflict. The ecological concerns are integral to the narrative, unlike other versions. Fried highlights the script's clear motivations for various characters. The themes of environmental decay, fascism, and the need for awakening remain relevant.