Jodorowsky's failed "Dune" project.

I was just a kid when I first read about Alejandro Jodorowsky's failed attempt to bring Frank Herbert's Dune to the big screen in Starlog magazine. It's fascinating to read about Jodorowsky's idea of the film, which would have departed greatly from the original novel.

What makes this failed movie so legendary are the number of high profile artists involved in creating the world of Dune: H.R. Giger made a number of designs for the corrupt Harkonnen planet.



Jean "Moebius" Giraud also contributed a number of designs.



Salvador Dali was set to play the Padishah Emperor Shaddam, ruler of the galaxy. Orson Welles was in consideration for the part of Baron Harkonnen. Pink Floyd was in talks to create the soundtrack. Can somebody say, holy wow!?!

Without a doubt this adaptation would have pissed off fans of the book, as the director saw it as a jumping off point for his own vision of Dune, and actively tried to keep Frank Herbert away from the production. It could have easily turned into another glorious mess, which is what happened with David Lynch's version. Or maybe it could have been amazing. It's fun to imagine what might have been.

In the end Jodorowsky says, "...all those who took part in the rise and fall of the Dune project learned how to fall one and one thousand times with savage obstinacy until learning how to stand. I remember my old father who, while dying happy, said to me: "My son, in my life, I triumphed because I learned how to fail".