David Lynch’s Partial “Dune Messiah” Script has Been Found

It’s a great day for fans of David Lynch‘s “Dune!” Who are we kidding- that’s every day! But seriously, one of the long-lost written works of Lynch, long-rumored to exist, has been unearthed. Max Evry, who recently published the WONDERFUL “A Masterpiece in Disarray: David Lynch’s Dune,” made the discovery of a partial script for a sequel film.

Back in December of 1984, Frank Herbert told Prevue magazine he had a copy of a script for “Dune II,” and was advising Lynch on it. “Now that we speak the same ‘language,’ it’s much easier for both of us to make progress, especially with the screenplays,” Herbert said. So, despite the release of the first film being considered a flop by studios and the director himself, there were plans within plans for a sequel. (We’d like to remind you the alternate ending was discovered just last year.)

Evry says he discovered a slim folder with a sticky note naming the contents “Dune Messiah script revisions” in the Frank Herbert archives at California State University, Fullerton in July of 2023. There were 56 pages dated “January 2nd-through-9th, 1984.” These pages included annotations by Herbert.

Lynch apparently “sort of remembers writing something but doesn’t recall ever finishing it,” a spokesperson for the director told Evry when contacted about the discovery.

We HIGHLY suggest heading to WIRED to read the full piece, as it does contain a lot of story elements for the newly discovered script. Also, if you haven’t picked the most recent 4K release of the 1984 film, you should absolutely do that.