Star Wars Cinematographer on the Difference with Shooting Dune

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Cinematographer Greig Fraser had worked on Rogue One and The Mandalrian for Lucasfilm, and he’s attached to one of the most anticipated sci-fi properties this year, Denis Villenueve’s Dune. What’s interesting is, he had to do a lot of effort just to make sure his next movie didn’t look like a Star Wars flick.

Talking to Collider, Fraser explained:

“It was quite fun because I had to forget a lot of Star Wars when I was making Dune. It wasn’t hard, though. Denis and I spoke clearly about how the film should look and should feel, and the formats and this and that, so it was not hard to swerve and change lanes. There were some similarities like the deserts. I mean listen, ultimately I’m positive George Lucas was inspired by Dune when he made Star Wars. I don’t know if that’s sacrilegious to talk about, but there are a lot of similarities in some areas, so you could tell he was definitely influenced by that. So I had to be careful doing both [Dune and The Mandalorian] and not to repeat myself. Also not just for the sake of the movie, but for fun. I hate to do the same thing twice.”

Frank Herbert’s Dune had always been considered the granddaddy of modern science fiction, seeing as it sets up so many tropes that are prevalent today. When you check out Star Wars, the desert planet of Tatooine is clearly Dune, and the ‘spice’ that’s being mined in Kessell is a term that comes from Dune as well. Can Sarlacc Pits count as sandworms?

For years people have considered Dune an unadaptable when it comes to movies, but I have a feeling Denis Villenueve can pull this off. Let’s just hope this movie manages to be a commercial success as well, because it’s unfair that only James Cameron can make a successful sci-fi flick.

Dune is set to hit theaters on Dec. 18.