The Greatest Science Fiction Movie Never Made

Before there was David Lynch’s Dune, there was Jodorowsky’s Dune. This film project never made it off the ground, but the team that the mad genius avant-garde filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky assembled went on to influence science fiction classics like Bladerunner. Best known for his films El Topo and The Holy Mountain, Jodorowsky was determined to produce the cinematic equivalent of an acid trip. He would have made a superior Dune to the one that ultimately disappointed Lynch.

The story behind the greatest science fiction movie never made is now the subject of a fascinating documentary. Watch the trailer for Jodorowsky’s Dune below to get a glimpse of this masterpiece-in-development that should have been given a blank check by a saintly producer. Alas, those don’t exist.

From The Verge:

Nobody took the risk, but with a riveting mix of interviews and gorgeous animated storyboards, Jodorowsky’s Dune makes the case that the film changed the world anyway — its influence popping up in everything from Star Wars to Raiders of the Lost Ark. Part celebration, part cinematic whodunnit, it’s one of the most engrossing films in recent memory, and we spoke with director Frank Pavich about bringing the unique tale to life.

Just look at the creative team that was assembled: “[artists] Jean “Moebius” Giraud and H.R. Giger, future Alien writer Dan O’Bannon handling visual effects. Jodorowsky convinced everyone from Salvador Dalí to Orson Welles to star in his epic. Then the filmmaker assembled a series of books containing every storyboard, ship design, and piece of art — and sent them off to the major studios to help get funding.”

The rest is history.

Image credit: Sony Pictures Classics