| Frank Herbert's Dune | |
|---|---|
 DVD cover | |
| Based on | Dune byFrank Herbert |
| Screenplay by | John Harrison |
| Story by | Frank Herbert |
| Directed by | John Harrison |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Graeme Revell Tim Simonec |
| Country of origin | United States Canada Germany Italy |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Richard P. Rubinstein Mitchell Galin |
| Producer | David R. Kappes |
| Production locations | Barrandov Studios,Prague, Czech Republic |
| Cinematography | Vittorio Storaro |
| Running time | 265 minutes 295 minutes (Director's cut) |
| Production companies | New Amsterdam Entertainment Blixa Film Produktion Victor Television Productions |
| Budget | $20 million[1][2] |
| Original release | |
| Network | Syfy |
| Release | December 3, 2000 (2000-12-03) |
| Related | |
Frank Herbert's Dune is a 2000science fictiontelevision miniseries, based on the1965 novel of the same title byFrank Herbert. It is written for the screen and directed byJohn Harrison, and starsAlec Newman asPaul Atreides,William Hurt asDuke Leto Atreides, andSaskia Reeves asLady Jessica, along withIan McNeice,Julie Cox, andGiancarlo Giannini. It was an international co-production between the American cable networkSyfy, and companies in Germany, Canada, and Italy. This is the second overall filmed adaptation of Herbert’s novel, following the1984 film directed byDavid Lynch, and precedingDenis Villeneuve’s two-part film adaptation (2021 and2024).
The series was first broadcast in three installments, beginning on December 3, 2000. It was released onDVD in 2001 byArtisan Entertainment, with an extendeddirector's cut appearing in 2002.[3] It received generally positive reviews, and was praised by both critics and audiences for its faithfulness to Herbert’s novel. The series was nominated for threePrimetime Emmy Awards and won two, forPrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Cinematography for a Limited Series or Movie andPrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Visual Effects.
A 2003sequel miniseries titledFrank Herbert's Children of Dune continues the story, adapting the second and third novels in the series (1969'sDune Messiah and its 1976 sequelChildren of Dune). Both miniseries are among the highest-rated programs ever to be broadcast on the Syfy Channel.
Acquiring the television rights to Frank Herbert's original sixDune novels,executive producerRichard P. Rubinstein envisioned the complex material adapted in a miniseries format, as he had done previously withStephen King'sThe Stand andThe Langoliers. He toldThe New York Times in 2003, "I have found there's a wonderful marriage to be had between long, complicated books and the television miniseries. There are some books that just can't be squeezed into a two-hour movie." Around the same time Rubenstein was first developing the material, the Sci Fi Channel's president,Bonnie Hammer, was spearheading a campaign for the channel to produce "blockbuster miniseries on a regular basis".[4] TheDune miniseries was greenlit in November 1999.[5]
Released in 2000,Frank Herbert's Dune was the first of the Sci Fi Channel's miniseries, followed bySteven Spielberg's miniseriesTaken in 2002, andFrank Herbert's Children of Dune andBattlestar Galactica in 2003. Rubenstein called his twoDune miniseries "science fiction for people who don't ordinarily like science fiction" and suggested that "theDune saga tends to appeal to women in part because it features powerful female characters".[4]
Though the production initially scouted filming locations inMorocco, these proved unfeasible.Dune was shot entirely in theCzech Republic atBarrandov Studios inPrague, with post-production taking place atCinecittà Studios inRome, Italy.[6] The miniseries was shot byOscar-winning cinematographerVittorio Storaro in his proprietaryUnivisium (2.00:1)aspect ratio, although it was broadcast in 1.78:1. The sets were designed by production designerMiljen Kljaković, and the costumes byTheodor Pištěk.[6]
Director John Harrison has described his adaptation as a "faithful interpretation" in which any changes he made served to suggest what Herbert had explained subtly or not at all. The miniseries introduces elements not found in Herbert's novel, but according to the director, these serve to elaborate rather than to edit.[7] Hurt was the first to be cast in the 2000 adaptation. A fan of the novel, he toldThe New York Times, "I was a science fiction junkie ... [Harrison] captured Herbert's prophetic reflection of our own age, where nation-states are competing with the new global economy and its corporate elements."[8]
Herbert's novel begins with lead characterPaul Atreides being 15 years old and aging to 18 over the course of the story. Harrison aged the character to adulthood in order to draw upon an adult acting pool for this crucial role.[9]
The miniseries invents an extensive subplot forPrincess Irulan, a character who plays little part in the plot of the first novel. Harrison felt the need to expand Irulan's role because she played such an important part in later books, andepigraphs from her later writings opened each chapter ofDune.[7][10] Additionally, the character gave him a window intoHouse Corrino.[7] Besides the final scene, the only one of Irulan's appearances based on an actual excerpt from the novel is her visit toFeyd-Rautha. However, in the book it is a differentBene Gesserit,Margot Fenring, who visits theHarkonnen heir, on assignment from the Bene Gesserit to "preserve the bloodline" by retrieving his genetic material (through conception) for theirbreeding program. The miniseries does not suggest this as Irulan's motive.[citation needed]
Asoundtrack album for the miniseries was released byGNP Crescendo Records on December 3, 2000. It contains 27 tracks composed byGraeme Revell and Tim Simonec and performed by theCity of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra.[11]
Frank Herbert's Dune aired in three parts, starting Sunday, December 3, 2000.[12] The first installment achieved a 4.6 rating with 3 million homes, and the miniseries averaged a 4.4/2.9 million households over all three nights.[12] This doubled all viewership records for Sci Fi, placingDune among the top ten of basic cable's original miniseries in the five years previous.[12] Two of the three installments also rated among the year's top 10 original cable movies.[12] As of 2007, the 2000Dune miniseries and its2003 sequel were two of the three highest-rated programs ever to be broadcast on the Sci Fi Channel.[2][13]
Emmet Asher-Perrin ofTor.com deemed the miniseries a better adaptation than the1984 Lynch film, but wrote that "it doesn't reach spectacular heights due to the desire to be as close to the written text as possible." She wrote that "the story naturally drags at certain points in the book that work in prose but not on screen", and added that "the narrative gets over-explained in an effort to be sure that no one watching is left behind." Asher-Perrin suggested that Harrison's choice to cast adult actor Newman as Paul is problematic because the character is written in the script as less mature and observant than he is in the source novel, but she praised many members of the cast, in particular McNeice (Baron Harkonnen) and Cox (Irulan). Asher-Perrin also complimented the special effects, set design, and costuming.[2]
The series was also praised by several critics, includingKim Newman.[14]
| Award | Year | Category | Nominee(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Society of Cinematographers Award | 2001 | Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Motion Picture, Limited Series, or Pilot Made for Television | Vittorio Storaro | Nominated |
| Cinema Audio Society Award | 2001 | Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for Television Movie or Limited Series | Larry Stensvold, Pete Elia, Michal Holubec | Nominated |
| Hugo Award | 2001 | Best Dramatic Presentation | John Harrison,Frank Herbert | Nominated |
| Motion Picture Sound Editors Award | 2001 | Best Sound Editing - Television Mini-Series - Effects & Foley | Jay Wilkinson, Erik Aadahl, Andrew Ellerd, Bruce Tanis, Victor Iorillo | Won |
| Best Sound Editing - Television Mini-Series - Dialogue & ADR | Jay Wilkinson,Erik Aadahl, Bruce Tanis, Victor Iorillo, Andrew Ellerd, Bob Newlan, Ulrika Akander, David Grecu, Sonya Lindsay, David Beadle, Jeff Rosen, Larry Goeb, R.J. Palmer, Helen Luttrell, Patrick Hogan, Joshua Winget, Dale W. Perry | Nominated | ||
| Primetime Emmy Award | 2001 | Outstanding Cinematography for a Miniseries or Movie[15] | Vittorio Storaro | Won |
| Outstanding Sound Editing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special[16] | Jay Wilkinson, Erik Aadahl, Bruce Tanis, Victor Iorillo, Andrew Ellerd, Bob Newlan, Ulrika Akander, David Grecu, Sonya Lindsay, David Beadle, Jeff Rosen, Larry Goeb, R.J. Palmer, Helen Luttrell, Patrick Hogan, Joshua Winget, Dale W. Perry | Won | ||
| Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special[17] | Ernest Farino, Tim McHugh, Laurel Klick, Frank H. Isaacs, Elaine Essex Thompson, Jim Healy,Greg Nicotero, Tony Alderson, Chris Zapara | Nominated |
A director's cut special edition was released on DVD featuring expanded footage and dialogue.[3][18][19]
The 20013D video gameFrank Herbert's Dune byCryo Interactive/DreamCatcher Interactive is styled after the 2000 miniseries.[20][21]
A 2003sequel miniseries titledFrank Herbert's Children of Dune continues the story, adapting the second and third novels in the series (1969'sDune Messiah and its 1976 sequelChildren of Dune).[4][22]
John Harrison andRichard P. Rubinstein are credited asexecutive producers of theDune (2021) andDune: Part Two (2024), the two-part theatrical film adaptations of the novel released byWarner Bros.[23][24]
