Val Kilmer was the first choice to play the lead in David Lynch’s Dune.

Val Kilmer was the first choice to play Paul Atreides in David Lynch’s adaptation of Dune before Kyle MacLachlan came along.

I always love a good “what if” when it comes to casting. What if Sean Conner didn’t turn down the role of Gandolf? What if Tom Selleck was Indiana Jones? And what if Val Kilmer was Paud Atreides in David Lynch’s film? dune?

Although David Lynch’s adaptation of dune Although the film was a critical and commercial disaster upon release, it developed a passionate cult following. The upcoming book by Max Evry A Masterpiece in Disarray: David Lynch’s Dune – An Oral History delves into the making of the film with interviews from the cast and crew. Mashable has an exclusive excerpt from the book that shows how close Val Kilmer came to being in the film.

According to production office assistant Craig Campobasso, Val Kilmer was actually the first choice for the role of Paul Atreides dune before Kyle MacLachlan came by.

We screen tested Michael Biehn, Kevin Costner and Lewis Smith. There were a few others. Val Kilmer, of course, because Val was actually the first choice until Kyle took his mock test. Paul-Muad’Dib is not an easy character. Kyle made it look easy, but considering all the other actors were struggling…Michael Biehn didn’t do it justice. Kevin Costner doesn’t. It’s not that they’re bad actors; You just didn’t fit Paul-Muad’Dib’s criteria because you’re looking for that inner strength. Kevin Costner wasn’t well known at the time and I remember he was nervous because I was helping him put on the Paul-Muad’Dib costume and I could feel his nervousness about it.

Everett McGill, who played Stilgar in the film, added: “My memories of Val are clearer in that he was represented by my agent, I knew him and was only called to Mexico City for his test. Val received his classical training at Juilliard, displayed a gentle but powerful demeanor, and was very comfortable with the rhythm and structure of the dialogues. I’d say his Paul, to use a metaphor, was more Daniel Craig than Pierce Brosnan. I thought he did very well, but I later heard that Dino had concerns about the shape of his lips.Be sure to check out the rest of the excerpt Crushableit is worth reading.

Little was known about Val Kilmer when production on the David Lynch film began, but his breakthrough role in… Top secret! just happened to be in theaters a few months earlier dune.

Speaking of duneDenis Villeneuves Dune: Part Two Will “Discover the mythical journey of Paul Atreides as he unites with Chani and the Fremen as he embarks on a journey of vengeance against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Faced with a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the known universe, he tries to avert a horrific future that only he can foresee.“The film was due to hit theaters later this year, but just yesterday it was announced that the release had been pushed back to.” March 15, 2024.