Few science fiction stories have had as complex a cinematic history as Dune. From Alejandro Jodorowsky’s ambitious 1970s vision to the final versions delivered by David Lynch and Denis Villeneuve, the path to the big screen has been long and strange.
This collection asks about the key figures, the abandoned production designs, and the specific details that define the desert planet of Arrakis. We cover everything from the spice melange to the legacy of the failed adaptation.
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Alejandro Jodorowsky attempted to adapt which famous science fiction novel in the 1970s?
Foundation
Foundation
Dune
Dune
Star Wars
Star Wars
2001: A Space Odyssey
2001: A Space Odyssey
Which famous Surrealist artist was cast by Jodorowsky to play the Emperor in his unrealized project?
Salvador Dalí
Salvador Dalí
Joan Miró
Joan Miró
Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol
Pablo Picasso
Pablo Picasso
What is the name of the desert planet central to the plot of the novel?
Giedi Prime
Giedi Prime
Salusa Secundus
Salusa Secundus
Caladan
Caladan
Arrakis
Arrakis
Which director helmed the 1984 film adaptation of the novel?
Denis Villeneuve
Denis Villeneuve
George Lucas
George Lucas
Ridley Scott
Ridley Scott
David Lynch
David Lynch
In the novel, what is the common name for the geriatric spice?
Saffron
Saffron
Cardamom
Cardamom
Cinnamon
Cinnamon
Melange
Melange
Denis Villeneuve’s 2021 film used which specific desert location in Jordan to stand in for the planet Arrakis?
Azraq
Azraq
Wadi Mujib
Wadi Mujib
Wadi Rum
Wadi Rum
Wadi Araba
Wadi Araba
In Alejandro Jodorowsky’s vision for Dune, what role was intended for the actor Udo Kier?
Stilgar
Stilgar
Piter De Vries
Piter De Vries
Feyd-Rautha
Feyd-Rautha
Shaddam IV
Shaddam IV
Jodorowsky hoped to have which progressive rock band compose the score for his version of Dune?
Tangerine Dream
Tangerine Dream
Can
Can
Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Who wrote the original science fiction novel Dune published in 1965?
Frank Herbert
Frank Herbert
Ursula K. Le Guin
Ursula K. Le Guin
Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov
Arthur C. Clarke
Arthur C. Clarke
Why did David Lynch eventually disown his 1984 production of Dune?
The director quit halfway through filming.
The director quit halfway through filming.
Total creative control was granted to the director.
Total creative control was granted to the director.
The film was famously over budget and recut against the director’s wishes.
The film was famously over budget and recut against the director’s wishes.
The film was a massive critical and financial success upon release.
The film was a massive critical and financial success upon release.
What are the dragonfly-like aircraft featured in the 2021 adaptation called?
Land-speeders
Land-speeders
Ornithopters
Ornithopters
X-wings
X-wings
Star Destroyers
Star Destroyers
Which director was responsible for the 2021 film production of Dune?
John Harrison
John Harrison
Denis Villeneuve
Denis Villeneuve
David Lynch
David Lynch
Alejandro Jodorowsky
Alejandro Jodorowsky
Most of the plot of the 2021 film takes place on which planet?
Giedi Prime
Giedi Prime
Caladan
Caladan
Arrakis
Arrakis
Kaitain
Kaitain
Which of these artists provided designs for Jodorowsky’s unrealized film project?
George Lucas
George Lucas
H.R. Giger
H.R. Giger
Ridley Scott
Ridley Scott
Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick
Who are the Fremen in the story?
A local desert nomad tribe
A local desert nomad tribe
A forbidden religious order
A forbidden religious order
A specialized combat suit
A specialized combat suit
A giant sandworm species
A giant sandworm species
Who played the lead character, Paul Atreides, in the 1984 film adaptation of Dune?
Patrick Stewart
Patrick Stewart
Brad Dourif
Brad Dourif
Sting
Sting
Kyle MacLachlan
Kyle MacLachlan
Wadi Rum, a prominent filming location for the 2021 film adaptation, is located in which country?
Oman
Oman
United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
Jordan
Jordan
Egypt
Egypt
Which group is a powerful, clandestine sisterhood with genetic and political agendas?
The Bene Gesserit
The Bene Gesserit
The Spacing Guild
The Spacing Guild
The Sardaukar
The Sardaukar
The Mentats
The Mentats
Who portrayed Paul Atreides in the 2021 blockbuster film?
Jason Momoa
Jason Momoa
Timothée Chalamet
Timothée Chalamet
Oscar Isaac
Oscar Isaac
Josh Brolin
Josh Brolin
Where did much of the pre-production and conceptual work for Alejandro Jodorowsky’s unproduced film project take place?
Mexico City, Mexico
Mexico City, Mexico
Paris, France
Paris, France
Liège, Belgium
Liège, Belgium
Santiago, Chile
Santiago, Chile
What unique legacy did Alejandro Jodorowsky’s cancelled adaptation of ‘Dune’ leave behind?
The creation of a massive, comprehensive storyboard book
The creation of a massive, comprehensive storyboard book
The refusal of the producers to meet with the director
The refusal of the producers to meet with the director
The filming of the entire movie in secret
The filming of the entire movie in secret
The abandonment of the project by the author of the book
The abandonment of the project by the author of the book
Which of these best describes the Shai-Hulud creatures found on Arrakis?
Giant, desert-dwelling sandworms
Giant, desert-dwelling sandworms
Aquatic predators living in spice pools
Aquatic predators living in spice pools
Small, insect-like hive dwellers
Small, insect-like hive dwellers
Microscopic airborne parasites
Microscopic airborne parasites
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