Ridley Scott's Lost Dune: Unveiling a 40-Year-Old Script

This week marks four decades since David Lynch's Dune premiered, a box office flop that later cultivated a devoted cult following. Its stark contrast to Denis Villeneuve's recent adaptations highlights the enduring fascination with Frank Herbert's epic novel. Ridley Scott's involvement, before Lynch took the helm, has remained largely shrouded in mystery—until now.

A 133-page draft of Scott's abandoned Dune screenplay, penned by Rudy Wurlitzer in October 1980, has been unearthed from the Coleman Luck archives at Wheaton College. This discovery reveals a significantly different vision than either Lynch's or Villeneuve's interpretations.

Scott, fresh off the success of Alien, inherited a two-part screenplay by Herbert himself—faithful to the book but dramatically unsuited for the screen. Scott selected a handful of scenes but ultimately hired Wurlitzer for a complete rewrite. This newly discovered draft, like its predecessors, was envisioned as the first part of a two-film saga.

Wurlitzer's script, described by Scott as "pretty fucking good," offers a darker, more violent, and politically charged take on Herbert's story. Its departure from the source material, coupled with factors like Scott's personal grief, budgetary concerns, and other projects, contributed to its demise. Universal executive Thom Mount cited a lack of unanimous enthusiasm for the script as a key factor in its rejection.

A Grittier Paul Atreides

Wurlitzer's Dune opens with a dream sequence depicting apocalyptic armies, foreshadowing Paul's destiny. The script's visual descriptions are richly evocative, showcasing Scott's signature stylistic density. Instead of Timothée Chalamet's portrayal, Paul is depicted as a seven-year-old boy, undergoing trials that reveal his psychic connection with his mother, Jessica. While Lynch's version featured similar imagery of pain and suffering, Wurlitzer's script emphasizes Paul's "savage innocence" and assertive nature. The script even includes a flash-forward showcasing his transformation into a master swordsman by age 21.

A pivotal twist involves the Emperor's death, a catalyst absent from the book, triggering the events of the story. The script depicts the Emperor's funeral, a mystical ceremony where the deceased ruler designates Duke Leto Atreides as the new ruler of Arrakis. This sets the stage for conflict with Baron Harkonnen, who attempts to negotiate a shared control of Arrakis' spice production, a proposal the Duke rejects.

The script also introduces the Navigator, a spice-mutated creature visualized as an otherworldly being, foreshadowing elements of Scott's later film, Prometheus. The Atreides family's journey to Arrakis aboard a Guild Heighliner is depicted with intense detail, emphasizing the ecological devastation caused by spice harvesting. The script portrays Arakeen as a squalid, class-divided city, drawing inspiration from Gillo Pontecorvo's The Battle of Algiers.

A notable addition is a bar fight scene in Arakeen, where Paul and Duncan engage in brutal combat, showcasing Paul's early prowess. This encounter leads them to Stilgar, the Fremen leader, who executes a Harkonnen agent. The script also features a graphic depiction of the Atreides' downfall, including the assassination of Duke Leto and Duncan Idaho.

The script's depiction of Paul and Jessica's escape into the desert is equally intense, culminating in a face-off with a massive sandworm. Unlike previous adaptations, this version omits the incestuous relationship between Paul and Jessica, a significant alteration that reportedly angered both Herbert and De Laurentiis. The script concludes with a Water of Life ceremony, where Jessica becomes the new Reverend Mother, and Paul is accepted into the Fremen tribe.

A Bold, Unconventional Vision

Wurlitzer's script presents a starkly different Paul Atreides—less a reluctant hero and more an ambitious leader willing to make ruthless decisions. This interpretation, while diverging significantly from Herbert's work, offers a unique perspective on the novel's themes of ecology, politics, and spirituality. The script's emphasis on these elements, alongside its mature and violent tone, likely contributed to its rejection. However, it remains a fascinating glimpse into a lost vision of Dune, one that prioritizes ecological concerns and political intrigue alongside the spiritual elements explored in other adaptations. It serves as a reminder that even the most iconic works can inspire vastly different interpretations, each with its own merits and shortcomings.