DUNE

DUNE  
the motion picture screenplay
Foreword by Matthew Robinson and Kirk Boweat City University, London England
There are a number of things to note about this script:

The formatting is not exactly the same as the script that it was copied from. However, the scenes are all on the same pages that they appear in the script.
The pages are not numbered because the original script contained inconsistent page numbers i.e. the last page number was lower than the total number of pages. It is likely that the middle of the script may be from a different draft.
The pages are seperated by -- on an otherwise blank line.
There are three pages missing from the script, they are 8, 38? and 97 but see the second point above.
There are mistakes in the original which have been retained.
If you can help with the missing pages or the duplication of scenes then please e-mail a corrected version to the address below, or instructions on how to modify the existing version.

If you have any comments or can help with the above then e-mail me at the address below.

Matthew Robinson
cb192@city.ac.uk
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**

     D              U              N              E

                                        SEVENTH DRAFT
                                       
                                        DAVID LYNCH
                                        December 9, 1983
--
1.   ARRAKIS - A SCENE FROM SPACE

     Also known as DUNE, home of the Fremen, former
     Zenzunni wanderers.

1A.  INT. ROCK LEDGE - SIETCH TABR - NIGHT

     BLACK

     FADE IN to the dark eyes of the mysterious face of
     the REVEREND MOTHER RAMALLO, who sits against smooth
     black rock. Her eyes are deep blue-within-blue and
     her skin is a haunting translucent white. Her voice
     ECHOES as if in a great cavern.

                 REVEREND MOTHER RAMALLO
               We are the secret of the Universe.

           RESPONSE OF TWENTY THOUSAND VOICES
               Bi-la kaifa.

                 REVEREND MOTHER RAMALLO
               We are the secret of the Universe. We know
               of spice...the spice called melange...the
               greatest treasure in the Universe. It
               exists on only one planet - ours Arrakis,
               Dune. We know of spice and the Bene
               Gesserit sisterhood's selective breeding
               plan of ninety generations to produce the
               Kwisatz Haderach, the one the spice will
               awaken.

           RESPONSE OF TWENTY THOUSAND VOICES
               Bi-la kaifa.

                 REVEREND MOTHER RAMALLO
               And now the prophecy...

     Silence...then a powerful low organ NOTE resounding
     in the cavernous space.

            REVEREND MOTHER RAMALLO (CONT'D)
               He will come...the voice from the outer
               world, bringing the holy war, the Jihad,
               which will cleanse the Universe and bring
               us out of darkness. He will have been born
               of a Bene Gesserit mother.
--    
     The Reverend Mother continues speaking of the
     Prophecy, but we do not hear it. The huge wind organ
     BLOWS louder and louder, obscuring her voice.

     The picture FADES.

1B.  KAITAIN - A SCENE FROM SPACE

     Home planet of House Corrino and Shadam IV, Emperor
     of the known universe.

2.   INT. DROP - NIGHT

     FADE IN to:

     ...interior of one drop of water. The image changes
     subtly.

2A.  EXT. - DROP - NIGHT

     PULL BACK to a shot revealing the outside of the
     drop. There is a distant ROARING and within the drop
     we can see the distorted image of a space ship
     landing on a sophisticated landing field.

3.   (Deleted)

3A. EXT. LANDING FIELD - EMPEROR'S PALACE - NIGHT

     On the dark landing field, chemicals spill out of
     the ship in troughs and tank-suited Guildsmen begin
     to swarm out of a hatch opening.

4. through 6.  (Deleted)

7.   INT. THRONE ROOM - EMPEROR'S PALACE - NIGHT

     The EMPEROR is surrounded by crowds of COURTIERS in
     his Throne Room.

     Suddenly a GUARD enters from a small door and
     quickly crosses to ANOTHER GUARD. A warning SOUND
     begins. The Emperor turns nervously. Guards quickly
     begin to clear the large room. Several women are
     rushed toward us to a door beyond. One of the woman,
     IRULAN, stops and turns back for a worried, caring
     look to her father, the Emperor.

                         IRULAN
               Father.
--                           
                         EMPEROR
               Irulan.

     She sees that SARDAUKAR OFFICERS are surrounding him
     now, speaking to him. Irulan turns and leaves. The
     Emperor moves away from his officers to the center
     of the now-empty room. He drops his golden robe from
     his shoulders. He stands in his elegant black
     uniform, thinking.

     The Reverend Mother is ushered in and the Sardaukar
     Officers leave her alone with the Emperor.

                         EMPEROR
                    (quickly)
               A Third Stage Guild Navigator will be here
               within minutes!

                     REVEREND MOTHER
               We felt his presence.

                         EMPEROR
               I shall want telepathy during his visit
               and a report when we're finished.

                     REVEREND MOTHER
               Their minds are so.... They move in
               strange directions....

                         EMPEROR
               Yes?

                     REVEREND MOTHER
               Forced spice evolution of humans changes
               many things.... I must sit close to him.

                         EMPEROR
               He will not permit anyone but me to see
               him. You must be outside this room.... Do
               what you can.

                     REVEREND MOTHER
               I am your Truthsayer, my lord...
                    (sensing something outside the room)
               He is here, my lord.

     Under the carved inscription "Law is the Ultimate
     Science", the doors to the Emperor's chambers slide
     open and FIFTY GUILDSMEN wheel in a forty-foot long
     giant black box. One of the Guildsmen addresses the
     Emperor through a translating device.

                   TANKED GUILDSMEN #1
               The Bene Gesserit witch must leave.
--
     The Emperor looks to the Reverend Mother.

                         EMPEROR
               Leave us.

                     REVEREND MOTHER
               Yes, my Lord.

                         EMPEROR
                    (after she has gone)
               We are alone...

8.   INT. HALLWAY - EMPEROR'S PALACE - NIGHT

     The Reverend Mother enters through doors and takes a
     seat on a chair just outside the door. She closes
     her eyes.

9.   INT. THRONE ROOM - EMPEROR'S PALACE - NIGHT

     Inside the Emperor's chamber, the TANK-SUITED
     GUILDSMEN are arranging themselves in a "V"
     formation around the box. Suddenly the box opens,
     slowly and beautifully revealing a huge, thick glass
     tank. Inside the tank floats a THIRD STAGE NAVIGATOR
     twenty feet long, much like a cross between a pasty,
     pale human being and a fleshy grasshopper.

     The tank is filled with swirling orange spice-gas,
     and Guildsmen continuously vacuum up the toxic
     chemical spills dripping from under the tank.
     Suddenly the Guild Navigator swims towards the
     Emperor. His head is enormous and fleshy, like a
     huge grasshopper head -- the eyes are totally deep
     blue. His voice is a high, fleshy whispering and an
     intricate electrical apparatus in the front of the
     tank translates into English and broadcasts it into
     the room.

                        NAVIGATOR
               We have just folded space from Ix...

                         EMPEROR
                    (extremely nervous)
               Yes?... How was your journey?

                        NAVIGATOR
                    (after a long pause)
               Many machines on Ix... new machines.

                         EMPEROR
               Oh yes?
--                           
                        NAVIGATOR
               Better than those on Richesse.. You are
               transparent... I see many things... I see
               plans within plans.

                         EMPEROR
               Is there a problem?... Usually there is a
               problem when one of you makes a visit.

     No answer.

                        NAVIGATOR
                    (finally)
               The answer is within the problem...

10.  INT. HALLWAY - EMPEROR'S PALACE - NIGHT

     Outside the Emperor's chamber the Reverend Mother
     sits, her eyes closed, straining.

11.  INT. THRONE ROOM - EMPEROR'S PALACE - REVEREND
MOTHER'S MENTAL IMAGE - NIGHT

     A very blurred scene of the Emperor with the Guild
     Navigator. She is not getting the English version
     but a much different language version which is
     fascinating to listen to. A lilting, sing-song
     monologue.

12.  INT. THRONE ROOM - EMPEROR'S PALACE - NIGHT

                        NAVIGATOR
               I see two Great Houses -- House Atreides,
               House Harkonnen -- feuding... I see you
               behind it.

                         EMPEROR
               Yes.