In my opinion one of the brightest spots of David Lynch’s 1984 adaptation of Frank Herbert’s
Dune is Kyle Maclachlan’s performance as Paul Atreides.
In his first role that film really helped launch his distinguished career.
And in the decades since its release the actor has continued to showcase a particular fondness
for the IP and a profound sense of appreciation for his part in it.
His reverence for Dune is especially refreshing considering that a few of the other major
players in previous attempts to adapt this film have infamously harbored much resentment
and disdain for the property.
Throughout the lead up to Dune Part One’s release, Machlachlan continued to share his
love for the Dune franchise and his excitement for this newest interpretation of the sci
fi epic.
Being a part of the film that has since become a cult classic beloved by many fans as well
as the fact that the actor himself is a big fan of Frank Herbert’s novel has caused
many to hope that he’d be involved in some fashion in Dune part 2.
Which is why in a recent interview with Comicbook.com Kyle was asked if he’d be open to a cameo
in the upcoming sequel.
The Atreides actor responded saying, "I think it's totally up to Denis and whatever he wants
to do.
I watched his film, it was great, I enjoyed it.
Had a tremendous sense of nostalgia, to be honest, watching some of the sequences and
remembering stuff that I did with our cast in 1983.
So it was a trip down memory lane for me, but I thoroughly enjoyed it, and who knows?
Who knows what he's got up his sleeve."
It’s certainly exciting to know that Maclachlan would be willing to join the next film if
asked.
I sincerely hope that Villneuve considers involving the beloved Dune actor in some way
even if it’s just for a cameo.
However he is such a great actor I could easily see him in a more substantial role.
I have stated in a previous lore video that I think it would be really interesting if
Maclachlan were to be cast as Count Hasimir Fenring trusted advisor and agent of the Padishah
Emperor but there are also many who think he’d be great as the Emperor Shaddam the
4th himself.
That being said, if his involvement were intended to be purely for a cameo appearance I think
he’d fit in nicely as a member of the Imperial court.
Fans have been hoping for a cameo from Kyle as he’s sort of become an ambassador for
the Dune franchise, in anticipation of the first film’s premiere he continued to share
his excitement and insights about the new adaptation with a particular interest in seeing
visionary filmmaker Deni Villneuve’s approach to this story and Timothy Chalamet’s performance
as Paul Atreides.
Back in May of 2020 in an interview with Comicbook.com the prolific actor shared his initial thoughts
regarding Dune part one saying, "I am looking forward to seeing it.
I think Denis is such a wonderful filmmaker.
He's put together a really cool cast.
I've [loved the books since] I first read them back in, I think I was 15, so like 1972-73.
And I remain a fan, particularly of the first book.
I think it's one of my favorites, if not my favorite book ever.
I would read it every year.
So I come at it from a different perspective than David, of course, and I think that the
book is so rich and the relationships are so interesting and there are so many ways
to interpret it.
I'm looking forward to seeing what he does."
While David Lynch notoriously has been burned from anything having to do with the Dune IP
due to the complications filming his adaptation, Kyle has had a completely different outlook
o the experience.
Being a fan of the source material before even being cast as Paul Atreides clearly has
made a difference in the actor’s viewpoint and his continued avid interest in this newest
interpretation.
In October of 2021 he took to instagram to geek out and share his support for Timothy
and welcome him to the Dune fandom saying, "I'm so excited for the new #DuneMovie, introducing
Frank Herbert's novel to a new generation and to see @tchalamet, 'walk without rhythm'
and become Muad'dib!🚶🏻〰️🐛,. https://comicbook.com/movies/news/original-dune-star-kyle-maclachlan-welcomes-timothee-chalamet-to-the-role-of-paul-atreides/
And after finally seeing the first film of Villneuve’s 2 part adaptation Maclachlan
told ET he really enjoyed it, that he was smiling ear to ear, noting it was really fun
and that he felt an overwhelming sense of nostalgia watching certain scenes.
While I myself was watching the film, I noticed what appeared to be several nods to previous
adaptations of this story.
Especially the hazmat style suits of the Harkonnens bearing a strong resemblance to costumes seen
in Lynch’s film as well as the Harkonnen spider which many have pointed to as being
a nod to the Tarantuwolf from Jodoworsky’s The Metabarons comic book.
That’s just to name a couple.
So I don’t feel it's too hard to see Villeneuve continuing to pay homage to what came before
by bringing back a few more elements or even actors from the previous film or even the
sci-fi miniseries.
Another Dune actor I would love to see who gave what I thought was a standout performance
in the “Children of Dune” miniseries is James Mcavoy.
While we certainly won’t be seeing an on screen depiction of his character any time
soon, I feel that a cameo from this actor could be really fun and a nice nod to that
miniseries.
It definitely has been a treat to hear Kyle Maclachlans insights and appreciation for
the source material, Lynch’s film and Villneuve’s newest production leading up to its release.
He’s also shared a lot of concerns that fans have held in regards to a new adaptation
in a previous interview with Indiewire he shared his curiosity about Deni’s 2 film
approach and wondered whether this format could do justice to Frank Herbert’s story
saying, “I would lobby for three or more films, because it has that kind of potential
to really open up.
In my imagination, I always thought it would be great to approach it like a ‘Game of
Thrones’ model, where you have seasons, or at least a 10-part series, or a 12-part
series.
You could really go from beginning to end.”
He also has shared his concerns for the film’s financial success when it was revealed that
Dune would be released in theaters and on HBO Max streaming service.
The actor has continued to follow this production right along with the rest of the fandom with
eager anticipation and concern for its success.
Machlachlan has also consistently held a reverence and appreciation for the 1984 film and the
franchise as a whole.
In an interview with IndieWire he shared his view of Lynch’s Dune saying, “My feelings
about it evolve over time.
I look at it as a flawed gem.
It’s stunning in so many ways.
As a story, and trying to recreate that story, it’s almost impossible.
It’s incredibly dense, and a little bit like a house of cards.
If you leave out one element of the story or another, the structure tends to wobble,
and you don’t get the full effect.”
I definitely agree with his sentiments and though I may have issues with Lynch’s version
of Dune I do appreciate certain elements that were included that were omitted or left mysterious
in Villneuve’s first film making the 1984 adaptation special in its own way, a flawed
gem.
But even those who take issue with the cult classic tend to praise Kyle’s performance,
his charisma, his presence and greatly appreciate how much he has championed a faithful adaptation
of the intricate story of Dune.
These are all the primary reasons why I would love to see him at least for a cameo in Dune
part 2.
But I’m curious to know what you think about Kyle’s comments regarding Dune part 2 and
his willingness to join the cast of the sequel.
What role would you like to see the actor play in this next installment?
Let me know your thoughts in the comment section below.
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Thank you all so much for your support and as always have a very nerdy day.