Former Dune Director “Very Excited” About Denis Villeneuve Films (Exclusive)

Frank Herbert’s Dune novel from 1965 earned praise for decades among the sci-fi crowd, thanks in large part to its dense mythology and sprawling scope. The only drawback to the expansive nature of the book is it didn’t lend itself to being easily adapted into live-action, which is one reason David Lynch’s 1984 Dune was largely considered a disappointment. Luckily, director John Harrison knew the story would work better when stretched out into an episodic format, resulting in the three-part Frank Herbert’s Dune miniseries. Director Denis Villeneuve adopted a similar approach, breaking the book up into two films, with Harrison recently reflecting on how he is “very excited” about what Villeneuve is doing with the story and how it could introduce newcomers to his own miniseries. Harrison most recently directed segments for Shudder’s Creepshow, which returns on October 13th.

“I’m very excited about it. Richard Rubenstein and I were still involved in the development of several attempts to try and get it off the ground after my miniseries. And maybe fortunately, some of those never came to pass because I think what Denis Villeneuve has done is just fantastic,” Harrison recalled to ComicBook.com. “And I love him as a director. I wasn’t involved at all in the latest movies except to have my name put up there. But I think it’s just fantastic and I’m really looking forward to the new ones.” 

He added, “And I hope it does introduce a whole new audience to the Dune world. If they are able to get back and see my miniseries, I’m very proud of them. We were able to … I think the success of them, they won a couple of Emmys and they were hugely successful here and abroad. I think they gave people faith that Dune actually could be adapted again.”

Clearly Harrison’s time in the sci-fi world was much more positive than Lynch’s, as that filmmaker has admitted he has no interest in learning anything about Villeneuve’s take on the material. 

While speaking with French outlet Cahiers du Cinéma earlier this year, on the topic of Villeneuve’s Dune, Lynch replied, “I will never watch it, and I don’t even want you to tell me about it, ever.”

Harrison directed two segments in Creepshow, including the season premiere’s “Smile” and the season finale’s “Baby Teeth.”

Based on George A. Romero’s iconic 1982 horror-comedy classic, Creepshow is still the most fun you’ll ever have being scared. A comic book comes to life in a series of vignettes, exploring terrors ranging from murder, creatures, monsters, and delusions to the supernatural and unexplainable. You never know what will be on the next page…  

Creepshow Season 4 premieres on October 13th. Dune: Part Two is currently slated to hit theaters on March 14, 2024.

What do you think of Harrison’s Dune adaptation? Let us know in the comments!