Originally Posted by Chris

The 1984 version set a pretty high bar, which may have helped push this production along. That previous adaptation really only falls short in its editing of the original material IMO - it’s obvious a ton of story is missing from Paul Atredes’ time among the Fremen rebels. But then they only ever planned to do it in one film, while Villeneuve is aiming to do it in 2.

It’s a rare thing indeed by the way to have something on the scale of LotR in continuous production for that length of time (principal photography for the entire triology went non-stop, back to back, for well over a year, with pick-ups following on and off over the 3 years after that). New Line took a huge financial risk on it. Miramax had originally been funding the production but were only prepared to allow 2 films. They walked away because they couldn’t afford the risk inherent in doing what Jackson and Walsh wanted to do with it.

With Dune 2021, Villeneuve wanted to go big and wasn’t prepared to go low budget just to secure advance funding for the sequel. He has said he needed to make the first film good enough to make the case with Warner, which has bankrolled the project - it was a gamble that risks him being left with an incomplete work but if it’s as good as it looks it is a gamble that should pay off.