Jodorowsky's Dune | Frank Pavich

Frank Pavich's documentary Jodorowsky's Dune tells the story of visionary director Alejandro Jodorowsky's ambitious but ultimately failed attempt in the mid-1970s to adapt Frank Herbert’s classic science fiction novel "Dune" into what he hoped would be a mind-altering cinematic epic.

The documentary charts Jodorowsky's journey as he assembles a team of legendary collaborators—including French comic artist Moebius (Jean Giraud), surrealist painter H.R. Giger, and musician bands like Pink Floyd, to create extensive storyboards, concept art, and elaborate plans for a film that would span 12–14 hours and replicate the experience of LSD, aiming to deliver a profound, sacred and transformative experience for viewers. Jodorowsky sought out remarkable talents like Salvador Dalí (who demanded to be the world’s highest paid actor and requested surreal set pieces), Orson Welles, and Mick Jagger for the cast, with his own son Brontis slated to play the protagonist Paul Atreides.

Ultimately, Hollywood studios balked at the film’s scope and Jodorowsky’s refusal to compromise on length, causing the project to collapse before filming could begin. Yet the documentary positions this unrealized project as a source of inspiration: the team’s creative output, especially the storyboards and character designs, circulated in the industry and is credited with influencing later landmark sci-fi films such as "Star Wars," "Alien," and "The Fifth Element". Many of the creative concepts were later reused in Jodorowsky and Moebius’s graphic novel series "The Incal".

Pavich’s film is celebrated for vividly animating the storyboards, channeling Jodorowsky’s infectious passion and artistic philosophy, and offering a touching, humorous look at the courageous ambitions—and inevitable heartbreaks—of cinematic dreamers.

Film Details

Aspect Ratio ‏ : ‎ 1.78:1
Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned)
Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 0.7 x 7.5 x 5.4 inches; 2.88 ounces
Audio Description: ‏ : ‎ English
Item model number ‏ : ‎ 29015705
Director ‏ : ‎ Frank Pavich
Media Format ‏ : ‎ Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen
Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 30 minutes
Release date ‏ : ‎ July 8, 2014
Actors ‏ : ‎ Alejandro Jodorowsky, Gary Kurtz, H.R. Giger, Michel Seydoux, Nicolas Refn
Subtitles: ‏ : ‎ English, French
Producers ‏ : ‎ Frank Pavich, Stephen Scarlata, Travis Stevens
Studio ‏ : ‎ Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00J5LXMTG
Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 2