Dune Scenes That Were Left On The Cutting Room Floor
Every movie goes through a process of script alterations and editing during production. Often, this will result in entire scenes being discarded, plot points being changed, and even entire characters going missing. Denis Villeneuve's "Dune: Part One," a 2021 adaptation of Frank Herbert's acclaimed sci-fi novel, is no different in that respect. In fact, the film faced even larger hurdles in terms of cutting out parts of the story because it was adapted from such a long and complicated novel.
The book has been adored by fans since it was released, so adapting it for the big screen in a manner that pleases everyone was always going to be tricky. After all, movies are an entirely different medium and they can't use all of the same narrative devices that authors can employ. So, even though director Denis Villeneuve wanted to create a faithful adaptation of the original book, his desire to craft a perfect film meant that many scenes he shot (or were originally included in the script) had to be removed.
Regardless of why they were ultimately cut, these deleted scenes are unlikely to see the full light of day and have only been discovered thanks to interviews with the cast and crew (or the investigative work of dedicated fans).
Piter De Vries torturing a prisoner
There are many people in the "Dune" franchise that could be considered villains, and Piter De Vries is easily one of the worst offenders. The Twisted Mentat is a servant of House Harkonnen and, in his role as a sort of biological computer, guides Baron Vladimir Harkonnen in the plot to destroy House Atreides and seize control of Arrakis. As part of his duties, De Vries is also routinely tasked with getting information from enemies and planning assassination schemes. He actually invented a residual poison as a means of coercing others, as anyone infected by it requires constant access to an antidote.
Considering all that, it isn't all that surprising that a scene was planned that would showcase some of these less desirable qualities. In an exclusive interview with Looper, actor David Dastmalchian revealed that he shot a torture scene that didn't make the final cut. However, it isn't clear whether this was simply to show the type of person De Vries is or if it was part of a discarded subplot that was no longer necessary. Dastmalchian explained: "There was a scene in which I was torturing a prisoner that didn't make it. Dave Bautista and I were in it, and it was a very short scene, but I really enjoyed shooting that."
Dr. Wellington Yueh crying over his wife
Dr. Wellington Yueh is one of the most important characters in "Dune." Not only is he the personal physician of Duke Leto Atreides, but his actions also set the main conflict of the story in motion. A longtime, loyal servant to House Atreides, Yueh ends up betraying his masters at the behest of Baron Vladimir Harkonnen. In "Dune: Part One," he lowers the defenses of the Atreides stronghold in Arrakeen. This allows Harkonnen forces and the Sardaukar (the elite soldiers of the Padishah Emperor) to launch a devastating attack, ultimately ending in the Duke's death along with that of Yueh and many other senior Harkonnen officials.
The reason for Yueh's betrayal is revealed to be a last-ditch effort by the doctor to free his wife. Piter De Vries had kidnapped and tortured the woman, so Yueh believed the only way to free her was to betray House Atreides and follow De Vries' instructions. In a scene that was removed from the theatrical release, Yueh has a conversation with Lady Jessica and becomes emotional when discussing his wife. This would have added some extra depth to his character and helped explain more of the motivation for why he was willing to betray his close friends. It also would have hinted at the guilt he feels for what he is about to do.
Duncan Idaho arriving on Arrakis
Portrayed by "Aquaman" star Jason Momoa in the Denis Villeneuve adaptation, Duncan Idaho is an important figure within the world of "Dune." He takes on several vital roles for House Atreides and is steadfastly loyal to Duke Leto, Paul, and Lady Jessica. A skilled swordmaster and valiant warrior, he protects Paul and Lady Jessica after the Harkonnen and Sardaukar attack Arrakeen and then helps them escape. Prior to that, he acted as an ambassador and close ally to the Fremen of Arrakis. If an earlier draft of the "Dune: Part One" script had been used, viewers may well have seen Duncan much earlier than they do in the theatrical cut.
Images shared online show what was referred to by the crew as the "Duncan Drop," a partially-shot scene in which the master fighter lands on Arrakis from an orbiting drop ship. Duncan would have arrived on the planet in style before seeking out the Fremen on behalf of House Atreides, providing a dramatic introduction to the character. The scene was filmed partly in Budapest using a giant LED screen and partly in the actual Jordanian desert with Momoa's stunt double. According to "The Art and Soul of Dune" (a book written by executive producer Tanya Lapointe), the scene was ultimately removed because Villeneuve felt it strayed too far from the novel.
Gurney Halleck singing a soulful song
Like Duncan Idaho, Gurney Halleck is a loyal soldier within House Atreides. A master swordsman and skilled fighter, he trained under some of the very best warriors in the Known Universe as a youngster and was responsible for training Paul in combat. Along with Idaho and Thufir Hawat, Halleck was also responsible for leading the war council of Duke Leto. He managed to survive the attack that led to the death of Leto and many House Atreides troops, joining a gang of smugglers on Arrakis.
Halleck is also a skilled musician. In the "Dune" novels, he shows a particular liking for the baliset, a fictional stringed instrument. According to Josh Brolin and director Denis Villeneuve, a scene was filmed where Halleck played the baliset and sang a beautiful song. Despite everyone enjoying the moment, it had to be cut. "We did the singing scene with the baliset and Hans (Zimmer) had written a really nice piece," Brolin told SyFy. "It was kind of like Lou Reed meets Tom Waits meets me." Villeneuve also spoke with the outlet, revealing that he really didn't want to remove the scene. "Josh was awesome, but I couldn't, for several reasons, put it in Part One."
An opening scene showing the creation of Dune
The opening sequence of "Dune: Part One" is just one of the many differences between the film and novel. The book begins on House Atreides' home planet Caladan, as Duke Leto accepts an invitation by the Emperor to take over stewardship of Arrakis. This provides some background to Paul and the rest of the Atreides family, as well as giving the reader a wider understanding of the fictional universe. In contrast, "Dune: Part One" opens with a voiceover by Chani actor Zendaya over shots of the sweeping Arrakis desert. Chani talks about life on the planet for the Fremen and how spice dominates everything. This helps demonstrate the harsh realities of living on Arrakis and how outsiders are perceived.
In an interview with IndieWire, "Dune: Part One" co-screenwriter Eric Roth explained how the film almost had an entirely different intro. His original script called for an opening that showed Arrakis (aka Dune) being created, but director Denis Villeneuve vetoed it. Why? Not because he didn't like, but because he thought it would be too expensive to film. "Because I'm adventurous, I started the movie with what would seem to be Genesis — 'and God created' — and you think you're seeing the formation of the Earth," said Roth. "And it's Dune, with wild animals, things you've never seen."
Jessica training Paul
The nature of "Dune: Part One" and how it begins means that viewers get little chance to see Paul Atreides' early life and how he became such a capable leader. There are a few notable training scenes scattered throughout the movie, which give some indication of how he learned to fight and understand the teachings of the Bene Gesserit. Apart from fleshing out the character, these scenes also provide a way for viewers to become more accustomed to what life is like in the fictional universe. Yet, other scenes showing Paul's training in various methods were cut from the final version of the film.
Lady Jessica actor Rebecca Ferguson posted a behind-the-scenes image to her Instagram that shows her character and Paul fighting with a knife as she instructs him in the Weirding Way, the martial art of the Bene Gesserit. Ferguson said that she loved this particular scene, which was ultimately removed, despite it adding extra meaning to Paul's fight with Jamis. "Always an odd feeling when a scene you love doesn't make the cut," she captioned the post. "Hope one day this one makes it out to you guys."
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Ferguson mentioned another moment where Jessica trains Paul in meditation and the use of the Voice. A still image from this scene was included in "The Art and Soul of Dune," and it's another moment that shows the close relationship between mother and son. "They are meditating, and she wants him to put a hand over a candle," Ferguson said of the scene.
An explanation for Duncan's missing beard
Keen-eyed viewers may well have noticed during "Dune: Part One" that Jason Momoa's character, Duncan Idaho, has a particular continuity problem. Throughout the film, his beard seems to become shorter and shorter until it gets to a point where he is almost clean-shaven. It's something that's easy to miss the first time you watch the film, but becomes very obvious when you know about it. Director Denis Villeneuve wanted the character to have very little facial hair, although asking Momoa to shave off his beard was seemingly a nerve-racking experience.
Speaking on the Directors UK podcast, Villeneuve explained that the way the movie was filmed meant the actor appeared with different lengths of facial hair. He and the writers attempted to explain this in the film with a scene that mentioned the character shaving. Yet, it was ultimately removed as the humor and tone was out of sync with the rest of the movie. "We wrote the scene, to make jokes about the fact, and it felt so bad, so cheesy, that I decided to remove it," the director said. "I said, 'F*** it, we'll embrace the fact that this character has a beard at the beginning and the end. Then he shaves when he goes in the mission, in the desert,' and nobody noticed."
Paul and Leto swimming to the cemetery
One of the earliest scenes in "Dune: Part One" sees Paul and Leto Atreides walking through a cemetery on their home planet of Caladan. The pair initially argue as the young heir wants to travel to Arrakis on a scouting mission with Duncan Idaho, with his father insisting he travel with the rest of House Atreides weeks later. It is in this moment that the Duke also reveals to Paul, and the audience, the danger that taking over Arrakis will put them all in. As Leto explains, the new arrangement will cause more conflict between them and House Harkonnen, which had been taking spice from Arrakis for decades (becoming very rich in the process).
In an early draft of the script, this part of the story would have been even longer and involved the father and son duo traveling together to the graveyard. The cemetery was initially intended to be on a piece of land in the middle of a lake. The cut scene featured Paul and Leto both swimming to the island cemetery using specially adapted wetsuits before they begin a conversation that was very similar to what is in the final movie — although this too was re-written after the swimming portion was removed. Interestingly, the island scene was shot on location in Hungary, a landlocked country.
Stilgar watching Paul arrive on Arrakis
Javier Bardem's character Stilgar has an important role in "Dune: Part One" as the leader of the Fremen on Arrakis. A staunch defender of his people and culture, he first appears in the movie when Duncan Idaho introduces him to House Atreides. The warrior and leader later provides sanctuary to Paul and Lady Jessica after the attack from House Harkonnen that leaves Duke Leto dead and House Atreides in ruins. It turns out that the initial plan was for viewers to see Stilgar earlier in the movie.
A short clip of a deleted scene, along with images from the book "The Art and Soul of Dune," indicate that Stilgar was originally going to appear in the desert as House Atreides arrives on Arrakis. The character would have been walking in the sand and looked up as the Heighliner appeared overhead before landing on the planet. In an interview with Collider, director Denis Villeneuve explained that he's sometimes saddened by having to remove certain things he likes, seemingly referencing this particular scene. "There was a little moment with Stilgar in the desert that I'm still mourning, but when I tried to put it back in the film, it deflates the momentum," he said.
Glossu Rabban intimidating Piter De Vries
Portrayed by Dave Bautista in Denis Villeneuve's adaptation of "Dune," Glossu Rabban is a violent and sadistic member of House Harkonnen. As the nephew of the Baron, he acts as something of an enforcer and is known across Arrakis as a cruel and rage-filled figure. He is willing to do whatever it takes to advance his family's cause and is a danger to anyone who crosses him. As such, it makes sense that Rabban filmed scenes intimidating other characters, including David Dastmalchian's Piter De Vries. Unfortunately, fans of the movie are unlikely to ever see this as it was removed from the theatrical release.
Speaking to Collider, Bautista divulged some details about the missing footage, indicating that it was likely cut because it impacted the overall pace of the film. "I had a scene in the first film with Dave Dastmalchian where I was just intimidating his character," the former WWE star said. "And it was very subtle, but I wanted that for selfish reasons because I love Dave so much." He later went on to say that he was "disappointed" about the scene not appearing in the final version of the film but that he understood that these decisions are for the filmmakers.
Paul consoling Thufir after the assassination attempt
While Thufir Hawat is not the most important character in "Dune: Part One," he still plays a significant role in the proceedings. As a Mentat, he is the Master of Assassins for House Atreides and is largely responsible for Paul's security. He spends much of his time training the young heir and keeping him safe. However, he is not always successful in this duty: Early in the film, a deadly tool known as a hunter-seeker almost kills Paul during an assassination attempt.
Hawat, played by Stephen McKinley Henderson, is devastated about the mistake and offers to resign. In a scene that ultimately didn't make the final cut, Paul consoles his tutor and explains that without him and his training, he probably wouldn't have survived. "Paul said to him, 'It was also what you taught me that made me triumphant over that hunter-seeker,'" Henderson told The Hollywood Reporter. "So that's the only thing that helped [Thufir] get off the hook, but [his] resignation was a sincere desire to say, 'Get someone else because I care that much.'"
A conversation between Paul and Dr. Yueh
Dr. Wellington Yueh is instrumental to almost everything that happens in "Dune: Part One." His betrayal of House Atreides starts the chain of events that leads to the death of Duke Leto and also Paul fleeing into the desert to join with the Fremen. Yet, he is not a villain and is intensely loyal to the House, only working against them in a desperate effort to save his wife. Several deleted scenes demonstrate his support for the family and Paul in particular. This includes a scene where the two discuss life on Arrakis and how spice is ever-present on the planet.
One early draft of the script included an entire conversation between Yueh and Paul in which the doctor pleads with him to learn everything about the Fremen as soon as possible. He also hands him a religious text known as the Orange Catholic Bible, explaining that it was once a treasured item owned by his wife. The scene was likely removed for pacing reasons, although it took away the opportunity to flesh out Yueh's character further and explain why his betrayal was so painful.
Reverend Mother Mohiam narrating the opening
Choosing how to open "Dune: Part One" was apparently among the most difficult tasks for director Denis Villeneuve and the screenwriters. Frank Herbert's "Dune" novel provides exposition for the events that are about to unfold in its opening pages, but film adaptations usually don't have the luxury of spending a huge amount of time setting the scene before jumping into the action. Yet, they do have to give the audience some idea of what is going on.
Throughout the writing process for "Dune: Part One," several different openings were proposed. One of the earliest versions resembles the way that David Lynch's 1984 movie begins, with Princess Irulan explaining the setting and politics of Arrakis. A 2018 draft script for "Dune: Part One" featured Reverend Mother Mohiam (Charlotte Rampling) filling the audience in on the history of Herbert's fictional world. She explains the roles of the various factions within the Empire and the importance of spice to the wider universe. It isn't clear whether this scene was ever recorded or if it was cut before filming began.