Kyle MacLachlan Says Dune’s Simultaneous Debut on Streaming Is Disheartening

Actor Kyle MacLachlan played Paul Atreides in David Lynch’s adaptation of Dune and, while he has no direct connection to director Denis Villeneuve‘s new take on the Frank Herbert novel, he admits that it’s “disheartening” that the new film will debut on HBO Max the same day it lands in theaters. Despite this disappointment, the actor admitted that this seems to be a new normal for movies going forward, as it allows as many audiences as possible to see films the day they premiere, yet the grand scope of the sci-fi epic is something the deserves to be seen on as big a screen as possible.

“I think the simultaneous release is kind of the wave of the future,” MacLachlan shared with Seattle Times. “It’s disheartening though because a movie like that is meant to be seen on the large screen.”

Despite starring in the original adaptation, MacLachlan previously admitted how excited he was for this new take on the material, knowing the talents of Villeneuve.

“I am looking forward to seeing it. I think Denis is such a wonderful filmmaker,” MacLachlan shared with ComicBook.com. “He’s put together a really cool cast. I’ve [loved the books since] I first read them back in, I think I was 15, so like 1972-73. And I remain a fan, particularly of the first book. I think it’s one of my favorites, if not my favorite book ever. I would read it every year. So I come at it from a different perspective than David, of course, and I think that the book is so rich and the relationships are so interesting and there are so many ways to interpret it. I’m looking forward to seeing what he does.”

Warner Bros. has confirmed that their decision to release their slate of 2021 films on HBO Max the same day they land in theaters was solely due to the coronavirus pandemic, but Villeneuve himself previously expressed his disappointment with the decision, noting that his Dune likely won’t earn the same box office and will likely stifle the follow-up films he had planned.

“Streaming services are a positive and powerful addition to the movie and TV ecosystems,” Villeneuve shared in a letter for Variety. “But I want the audience to understand that streaming alone can’t sustain the film industry as we knew it before COVID. Streaming can produce great content, but not movies of Dune‘s scope and scale. Warner Bros.’ decision means Dune won’t have the chance to perform financially in order to be viable and piracy will ultimately triumph. Warner Bros. might just have killed the Dune franchise.”

Dune is currently slated to hit theaters and HBO Max on October 1st.

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