David Lynch's 'Dune' almost cast Val Kilmer, and more secrets from the 'Dune' oral history
When you think of David Lynch's 1984 adaptation of Dune, your mind may go to images of sandworms bursting through desert landscapes, slug-like Guild Navigators floating in vats of orange clouds of spice, and Sting wearing a shiny blue Speedo. You'll likely also recall how Dune was a critical and commercial failure, becoming a "black sheep of David Lynch's filmography," as film writer Max Evry describes it.Now, Evry's upcoming book, A Masterpiece in Disarray: David Lynch's Dune – An Oral History, aims to bring this black sheep back into its rightful place in the flock. Made up of interviews with the film's cast, creatives, executives, and even Lynch himself, the book weaves together stories from the film's production and the aftermath of its release to paint a definitive picture of the making of Dune.To get a sense of the Dune-y goodness that awaits, Mashable has an exclusive excerpt from A Masterpiece in Disarray to share. The excerpt centers on the film's casting, including which acto
When you think of David Lynch's 1984 adaptation of Dune, your mind may go to images of sandworms bursting through desert landscapes, slug-like Guild Navigators floating in vats of orange clouds of spice, and Sting wearing a shiny blue Speedo. You'll likely also recall how Dune was a critical and commercial failure, becoming a "black sheep of David Lynch's filmography," as film writer Max Evry describes it.
Now, Evry's upcoming book, A Masterpiece in Disarray: David Lynch's Dune – An Oral History, aims to bring this black sheep back into its rightful place in the flock. Made up of interviews with the film's cast, creatives, executives, and even Lynch himself, the book weaves together stories from the film's production and the aftermath of its release to paint a definitive picture of the making of Dune.
To get a sense of the Dune-y goodness that awaits, Mashable has an exclusive excerpt from A Masterpiece in Disarray to share. The excerpt centers on the film's casting, including which actors were in the running for the parts of Paul Atreides and Lady Jessica. (Spoiler alert: Tom Cruise and Glenn Close were in the mix!) And if you're as much of a fan of Sting's Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen as I am, stay tuned for a tidbit about making a cast of his crotch. (Yes, really.)
Casting David Lynch's Dune
A special exclusive excerpt for Mashable from A Masterpiece in Disarray: David Lynch's Dune – A Oral History by Max Evry, out September 19, 2023, from 1984 Publishing.
Val Kilmer (...and Tom Cruise...and Kevin Costner) were considered [for Paul Atreides].
JANE JENKINS (Casting Director): I think the biggest shake-up early on was that we were going to go with Val Kilmer for Paul. I had done a huge search around the country. I'd gone to Chicago, New York… There were a handful of actors that we talked about.
CRAIG CAMPOBASSO (Production Office Assistant): We screen-tested Michael Biehn, Kevin Costner, Lewis Smith. There were a few others. Val Kilmer, of course, because Val was actually the number one choice up until Kyle did his screen test. Paul-Muad'Dib is not an easy character. Kyle made it look easy, but if you saw all the other actors struggling... Michael Biehn did not live up to it. Kevin Costner did not. It's not that they're bad actors; they just didn't fit the criteria for Paul-Muad'Dib because you're looking for this inner strength. Kevin Costner wasn't known at that time, and I do remember him being nervous because I helped him get into the costume of Paul-Muad'Dib and I could feel his sense of nerves about it.
"Val was actually the number one choice up until Kyle did his screen test."
EVERETT MCGILL (Actor, "Stilgar"): My memories of Val are clearer in that he was represented by my agent, I knew him, and I was called to Mexico City just for his test. Val's classical training was at Juilliard, and he showed a smooth yet forceful poise and was very comfortable with the rhythm and texture of the dialogue. I would say his Paul, to use a metaphor, was more Daniel Craig than Pierce Brosnan. I thought he did very well, but later I heard Dino had misgivings over the shape of his lips.
SEAN YOUNG (Actor, "Chani"): I auditioned with Val Kilmer, and I auditioned with Tom Cruise in Mexico City. When I got there, I went to this hotel and these people don't speak English. I'm thinking, "Oh my God, I don't fucking know how to even call out." So, I went upstairs to the lobby and Val was there wearing a baseball cap, and I thought, "Oh, an American crew member. I'll ask him." I walk up and I'm about crying, and then realized it was Val, who I had met on auditions several times in New York. He says, "It's okay, all you have to do is dial this and this, get a front line out this and that. Let's go to lunch." We go to lunch, and the next day at the studio, we audition. We had three or four meals together during the audition, and then he's leaving and he goes, "Do you wanna switch numbers?" I'm like, "What for? You're dating Cher! Why would I need your number?" I saw him sometime after, and he said, "I really respected when you did that." I was like, "Oh dear..." [laughs]
Sean Young landed the role of Chani on an airplane.
CRAIG CAMPOBASSO (Production Office Assistant): The Sean Young story is hysterical.
RAFFAELLA DE LAURENTIIS (Producer): Sean Young was the funniest one. We went to New York for casting, and we were supposed to meet Sean Young. She didn't show up at the interview, right?
SEAN YOUNG (Actor, "Chani"): I had an appointment with David Lynch in New York City that I couldn't make because I had a flight to LA. The appointment ended up being too late, and I didn't think I would make it, so I called my agents and canceled it.
CRAIG CAMPOBASSO (Production Office Assistant): She doesn't show up for a lead role in a giant movie that's going at Universal?
RAFFAELLA DE LAURENTIIS (Producer): Then we were flying back from New York to LA, and she was on the plane with us.
SEAN YOUNG (Actor, "Chani"): David Lynch and Raffaella were on the plane, right? Pretty much a coincidence. That's how we ended up meeting.
RAFFAELLA DE LAURENTIIS (Producer): I went up there and said, "You know, you stood us up and David is upset?" We gave her a nice bollocking because she hadn't shown up at the meeting.
CRAIG CAMPOBASSO (Production Office Assistant): They ended up talking and drinking. Sean and Raffaella were so drunk that Raffaella said, "Just come and stay at my condo." Sean did spend the night at her condo because they were a little wasted, you know?
RAFFAELLA DE LAURENTIIS (Producer): Then we became friends, and then she did the movie.
Glenn Close was even in the mix [for Lady Jessica].
RAFFAELLA DE LAURENTIIS (Producer): I think we tried too hard to find the perfect Jessica. We tested Glenn Close, but she never got the job. I just did a movie with Glenn and we were talking about that screen test.
BOB RINGWOOD (Costume Designer): I suggested Glenn Close. I went and saw The World According to Garp, one of her early films. I went back the next day to David and Raffaella and said, "I've just seen a film and it's got this actress called Glenn Close. She's not pretty, but she's a bloody good actress." They did see her, and after they saw her, I said, "Oh, how did it get on with Glenn Close?" They said, "She's plain and she'll never be a star." I said, "I think you might be wrong about that." They didn't cast her, and of course, she went on to become an enormous star.
JANE JENKINS (Casting Director): Glenn Close, we seriously considered her. I do remember her coming in to meet David. I thought she would have been fabulous. I was a big fan of Glenn’s.
Then of course there was Sting.
JANE JENKINS (Casting Director): His role was very tiny. He was with a manager that I was friendly with, Keith Addis, who said, "Well, what do you think about Sting for that?" I went, "Are you serious?" Good timing.
RAFFAELLA DE LAURENTIIS (Producer): We didn't luck out — we worked really hard at it! He was a very hard get. He didn't want to do it, and he turned us down. Finally, David got on a plane and flew to London.
CRAIG CAMPOBASSO (Production Office Assistant): He was becoming extremely famous from The Police, a hot property. Or was he playing hard to get? Right? I know what agents do to make you want them more by saying, "Well, not sure... not sure... not sure." Of course, if they're saying that you know, in the end, you're going to make a deal because an actor really wants to do it.
MARY VOGT (Costume Assistant): I actually went up to Los Angeles to measure Sting. He was at A&M, recording something there. Bob had me take up a full-body leotard and a tape measure and go around his arms to write the inches. I got him for like 15 minutes. He thought it was just measurements, and I said, "Well, can you put this leotard on?" I measured that and then wrote on it. This is all Bob's idea, very clever. Then we found someone in Mexico to use as a good body double, and the costume fit great.
TERRI HARDIN (Stillsuit Fabrication, Stunt Double): I did the body cast for Sting, and it was fast. He ran in, we did it, he was gone. We were told to get it done and get him out. I kept getting these phone messages where people were like, "Are you taking a body cast of Sting? Could you duplicate his crotch for us?" When I was doing the mold on him, I said, "You know Sting, you could make a lot of money." And he was like, "What?" I said, "I don't know what it is, but people are calling me and saying they'd like to have a cast of your crotch. Why is that?" He just started laughing and said, "Seriously?"
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