In a new interview with Empire Magazine (as quoted by the good folks at Slashfilm), DUNE director Denis Villeneuve reveals that he and his team of designers spent a year - that's 52 weeks, 365 days, or 12 months, depending on how you like to break down your years - designing the look of DUNE's sure-to-be-fearsome sandworms.
Here's the quote:
“We talked about every little detail that would make such a beast possible, from the texture of the skin, to the way the mouth opens, to the system to eat its food in the sand. It was a year of work to design and to find the perfect shape that looked prehistoric enough.”
Even if you're unfamiliar with DUNE, chances are you're familiar with its sandworms, the gigantic creatures who lurk underneath the surface of Arrakis (the planet also known as "Dune"). We're guessing Villeneuve's sandworms will look different from previous iterations of the creatures (which have also been brought to the screen via David Lynch's DUNE and Syfy's DUNE series), but it's anyone's guess as to how Villeneuve's version will differ. Maybe in this DUNE, the sandworms' bodies are more textural (to aid in propelling them through Arrakis' sands). Maybe they'll have human teeth. Maybe they'll all wear little top hats with flowers attached to them, and if you get too close the sandworms trigger a cleverly-concealed device which causes the flower to squirt Spice in your face.
We're still waiting on the first DUNE trailer to arrive, and of course we're also waiting to see if Villeneuve's film will maintain its December 18th release date (please, God, do not take this from us). Stay tuned for further DUNE updates as they roll in. Hey, maybe you can spend the interim designing your very own sandworms! Just something to think about.