Kyle MacLachlan Doesn't Want A Cameo In Denis Villeneuve's Dune Movies

Because 90% of the movie franchises today are based on material from generations before, most big movies have mastered the art of the cameo. Since the 2010s particularly, they've gotten even better at incorporating legacy characters into the narrative, even if the movie technically isn't about them. "The Force Awakens" might've been all about introducing Rey/Finn/Poe to lead this new sequel trilogy, but they still gave Leia and Han enough screen time to "pass the torch" to the new generation. 

This wasn't just a quick way to score some easy nostalgia points; it also assured the more fickle viewers in the audience that this new trilogy had plenty of respect for the original trilogy, that it wasn't going to stomp all over everyone's childhoods the way some fans feared. (This technique didn't save the whole sequel trilogy from these sort of accusations, but it helped a little.) From "Scream" to "Jurassic Park" to "Ghostbusters," it feels like the safest way to start off a new string of movies is to have the old actors return for minor roles, so they can tell the audience directly that it's totally fine for the franchise to prioritize this new cast. 

The "Dune" franchise is different, however, because the original 1984 "Dune" movie was never beloved. Although we at /Film have our defenders of the film, it was still undeniably a critical and financial flop. Trying to squeeze a dense 800-page novel into a single movie is an impossible task, and the terrible special effects didn't help either. There are precious few "Dune" fans in 2024 who vehemently defend the '84 film, which might be why nobody's that disappointed that none of its original cast — not even the original Paul, Kyle MacLachlan — got to return for the reboot.  

By the sound of it, MacLachlan's only interested in the recent "Dune" movies as a viewer, not an actor. "I've done my 'Dune' work," he said in a recent interview with MovieWeb, "but I am excited to see what comes. I've not seen the second ['Dune' movie] yet, or the completion of the first book. I love the book. I've loved it since I was a little kid. Anytime I can go see something that has anything 'Dune'-related, I will be happy. And I think they did a marvelous job. So, I look forward to seeing it."

It seems that as acclaimed as Villeneuve may be as a director, in MacLachlan's eyes there's no real replacement for original "Dune" director David Lynch. MacLachlan also worked with Lynch on the acclaimed "Blue Velvet" and three seasons of "Twin Peaks" over the course of 25 years. Lynch has taken MacLachlan to some truly weird places over the decades, and MacLachlan's always seemed happy to go there. As he explained:

"Well, we just have a connection, and I think we really love each other as friends, and we love each other in the working relationship... we have some kind of a balance between us [that is] really effective on screen."

It's a dynamic that feels heartwarmingly similar to Villeneuve's relationship with the new Paul, Timothée Chalamet, who was always Villeneuve's first pick for the role. Chalamet himself has already had a unique career with a lot of weird, varied roles, which might be why MacLachlan's always seemed supportive of him. When asked in a 2019 interview if he had any advice for the new Paul, MacLachlan jokingly offered, "Go easy on the spice."