Dune

"The novel 'Dune', written by Frank Herbert and published in 1965, is considered one of the most ambitious works of science fiction literature. It is a deep story that not only launched an entire book franchise, but delved into various topics ranging from environmentalism and ecology, spirituality, the Arthurian model of heroism, and colonialism in human history, among others. For its depth and breadth, it has long been considered an impossible work to adapt to the cinema, though this has not stopped filmmakers like Ridley Scott and, especially, Alejandro Jodorowsky from trying. 1984's 'Dune' was the first attempt at entering the cinema, but could hardly be called a success. Though with quite innovative visual effects for the time, it was a production with pacing and structure problems in its screenplay, an attempt to condense five hundred pages of literature into just over two hours. The film was a terrible box office flop and only achieved cult status for having attempted the impossible. In retrospect, it is unusual in the filmography of its director, David Lynch, as the only multi-million dollar megaproduction in his career after his independent debut with 'Eraserhead' and the modest 'The Elephant Man'; although it was also the film responsible for introducing him to actor Kyle MacLachlan, with whom he would have much more fruitful collaborations in 'Blue Velvet' and 'Twin Peaks'. The cast also drew attention, with talents like Patrick Stewart ('Star Trek'), Virginia Madsen ('Candyman Mystery'), musician Sting and Sean Young ('Blade Runner')."