David Lynch's Dune is returning to U.S. theaters for a limited time this February to mark the 40th anniversary of the film.
A listing for the theatrical re-release of Dune appeared on the Fathom Events website, detailing the 40th Anniversary screenings of the movie that will take place on February 18 and February 19 - giving audiences two days to experience the 1984 film adaptation of Frank Herbert's seminal sci-fi novel on the big screen.
2024 is the 40th Anniversary of Lynch's #Dune, and in the US ?? Fathom Events are re-releasing the movie for 2 days on the 18th & 19th February 2024.https://t.co/HGtOR6PgvA pic.twitter.com/oZfUbAcUcE
— DuneInfo (@DuneInfo) January 14, 2024
Lynch's version of Dune features Kyle MacLachlan in the lead role of intergalactic warrior Paul Atreides, chronicling his messianic rise to leadership alongside an all-star cast that includes José Ferrer as Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV, Max von Sydow as Doctor Kynes, and rock legend Sting as Feyd-Rautha.
Dune received largely negative reviews when it arrived in theaters in 1984 (with many complaining that it either condensed the source material too much or was incomprehensible to newcomers) - with Lynch himself labelling it "a total failure" - however, the film went on to develop something of a cult following years later.
Last week, Max Evry, the author of "A Masterpiece in Disarray: David Lynch’s Dune. An Oral History," found a half-written script for the sequel, Dune 2. Before its release and subsequent critical panning and flop at the box office, there was a plan to turn Lynch's take on Dune into a major movie franchise.
A second film adaptation of Herbert's space opera directed by Denis Villeneuve arrived in theaters on October 21, 2021, to mostly positive reviews, with Part Two coming this March and the script for a potential third installment of the saga nearing completion (that one based on the 1969 novel Dune Messiah).
Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on X @AdeleAnkers.
