Singer Grimes Wanted to Direct Dune | Screen Rant
Singer-songwriter Grimes has recently revealed that she wanted to direct 2021's smash-hit Dune. Dune was helmed by Blade Runner: 2049 director Denis Villeneuve and was an adaptation of the first half of Frank Herbert's groundbreaking sci-fi novel of the same name. The film follows young Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) as he rises up to fulfill his destiny as leader of the dessert planet Arrakis. Since its release in late 2021, the film has received much acclaim from both audiences and critics, and is currently nominated for 10 Academy Awards including Best Motion Picture of the Year.
Grimes is perhaps best known as the separated partner of billionaire Elon Musk, which is unfortunate, as she has enjoyed quite a successful music career which always seems to be overshadowed by Musk. Throughout her career, Grimes has not kept it a secret that she has a large interest in the genre of science fiction. Grimes frequently uses sci-fi motifs in her music and style, and has often expressed interest in using space travel as a means to solve the world's ecological problems. It is no surprise then that Grimes is a long-time fan of Herbert's novel, which expresses similar ideologies. In fact, Grimes' first album was Dune inspired, being titled Geidi Primes.
In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, Grimes revealed that she actually had a wish to direct the theatrical adaptation of Dune before Villeneuve took the director's chair. The singer had dreams of joining David Lynch and Alejandro Jodorowsky in the growing list of directors with fantastic visions for Herbert's novel. According to Grimes, her version would have removed some of the more problematic colonialist elements. However, despite this dream, Grimes has stated that she loved Villeneuve's version and cried her "eyes out the whole movie." Grimes went on to state that it made her emotional as it reminded her of some of the hardships her son X Æ A-12 may have to go through in the future. See her full quote below:
"I was just crying my eyes out the whole movie. I just know X is going to have to go through all this really fucked-up shit that sort of mirrors Paul-type stuff."
Despite not directing the film herself, Grimes did become involved with Dune by using her massive social media platform to promote the movie. Unfortunately, this did not last long for Grimes, as Warner Bros. cut ties with the singer weeks before the film's release after she posted a photo of herself reading the Communist Manifesto. The photo was a clear attempt to troll billionaire Musk, however, the studio still decided to no longer affiliate themselves with the singer in a move which Grimes has described as overly cautious.
Grimes never got to make her Dune film, however, it is good to hear that she was not disappointed by what Villeneuve brought to the table. Any person who has ever seen a Grimes music video will know that she certainly would have made a film with a very unique take on Herbert's work, and one that would likely look vastly different to Villeneuve's stark vision of the world of Arrakis. For those who wish they could see Grimes' Dune, the artist is currently in the process of writing a "space-opera" with The Weeknd which may peak their interest. Until then, it seems Grimes will be waiting patiently with the rest of the fans for Villeneuve's conclusion to his Dune adaptation.
Source: Vanity Fair