Ridley Scott’s iconic sci-fi horror film, which introduced cinema lovers to iconic characters like Ellen Ripley, Alien is celebrating its 45 years. Widely regarded as one of the most influential films of all time, Alien was a revolutionary project whose impact on the horror genre remains significant. However, the story of the extraterritorial creature hunting down the spacecraft crew originated from a failed attempt to adapt Frank Herbert’s Dune series.
Chilean-French filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky had meticulously planned to adapt the sci-fi novels, creating a screenplay and thousands of sketches to bring his vision of the desert planet Arrakis to life. Although this project fell apart, it ultimately inspired Scott’s 1979 Oscar-winning masterpiece.
Alejandro Jodorowsky’s Failed Attempt Adapting Dune
Denis Villeneuve’s Dune film series has captivated movie lovers, especially with the 2024 sequel that continues Paul Atreides’ journey to the southern regions of Arrakis and his quest for revenge. However, prior to Villeneuve and even before David Lynch’s Dune film, another filmmaker sought to bring this mesmerizing story to the big screen.
The cult legend Alejandro Jodorowsky embarked on an ambitious project to adapt Frank Herbert’s Dune into a live-action epic. He dedicated years to this endeavor, developing a screenplay and spending two years visualizing the intricate worlds within Herbert’s book.
Jodorowsky vision diverged significantly from the adaptations fans are familiar with today. His concept included striped spaceships and unique costume designs, crafted with the help of a team of artists he called “spiritual warriors.”
These spiritual warriors consisted of British illustrator Chris Foss, Swiss artist H.R. Giger, special effects innovator Dan O’Bannon, and comic artist Jean Giraud, who contributed to costume design and more than 3,000 storyboard sketches for the movie.
The filmmaker had everything in place, from the cast to a planned runtime of up to 20 hours. However, despite the extensive preparation, Jodorowsky’s Dune never came to fruition. The exact reasons for the project’s collapse remain unclear, and Jodorowsky never had the chance to film a single frame of his vision.
However, despite its cancelation, Jodorowsky’s Dune left a notable legacy in the world of cinema. The project influenced future films significantly, and Dan O’Bannon, who collaborated with Jodorowsky, went on to create the original Alien story, a testament to the enduring impact of this unmade masterpiece.
How Canceled Dune Led to Ridley Scott’s Sci-fi Hit Alien
After spending six months working on the canceled Dune project, Dan O’Bannon returned to Los Angeles. His impressive work on the failed adaptation caught the attention of George Lucas, who hired him for the graphics of the Star Wars franchise.
Despite this opportunity, O’Bannon continued to struggle and, seeing no other way out, decided to focus on writing. Collaborating with Ronald Shusett, O’Bannon developed a script that went through several title changes—from Memory to They Bite and later to The Star Beast, before finally settling on Alien. Initially, the script failed to generate much interest.
O’Bannon’s exposure to artists like H. R. Giger influenced the creation of the alien creature. However, the release of Star Wars and the resulting surge in sci-fi popularity led the studio to greenlight Alien. Ridley Scott was soon brought on as the director, chosen for his work on the 1977 film The Duellists. O’Bannon not only worked on the screenplay but also supervised the visuals for the movie, which ultimately won an Oscar for Best Visual Effects.
Alien is available to stream on Prime Video.
