David Lynch Never Made a Star Wars Film, But His Protégé Did

Lynch’s protégé made the sci-fi film the master didn’t dare

A question haunts cinematic imagination: what would a Star Wars chapter look like if David Lynch directed it? After the triumph of The Elephant Man, George Lucas invited Lynch to direct Return of the Jedi. What an artist known for Eraserhead and Twin Peaks might have achieved in a distant galaxy remains a subject of passionate speculation. Lynch’s ability to turn loyalty into something deeply unsettling could have completely changed the series’ trajectory. Though Lynch never reached a distant galaxy, one of his former collaborators launched his own space adventure.

Borderlands was released in 2024 and was directed by Eli Roth, the man behind the horror films Cabin Fever and Hostel. The adaptation of the beloved video game franchise by Gearbox Software proved a critical and commercial failure, frustrating fans and failing to connect with the public. However, now that the film is available on streaming, there is a chance to appreciate it beyond fidelity to the original games. Roth created a colorful, eccentric space comedy that feels like part of the wave of Star Wars imitations that flooded cinemas and video stores in the late 1970s and 1980s. No one uses the term „kooky” anymore, but it perfectly describes the tone of this work.

When Star Wars became a global phenomenon in 1977, directors worldwide tried to capitalize on its success. Battle Beyond the Stars (1980) was essentially The Magnificent Seven in space, with future Titanic director James Cameron on production design and James Horner on the score. The film was produced by Roger Corman. The sets, models, and effects materials were later reused by Corman for Space Raiders (1983). Why build an expensive ship when you already have one available? Other films, like The Ice Pirates (1984), enjoyed the madness of a science fiction found somewhere between Star Trek’s camp and Star Wars’ space opera. These films filled their stories with space pirates, eccentric robots, and random creatures that the effects budget allowed. It seems Borderlands is a new interpretation of that tradition.

The „Star Warsploitation” tradition is still alive

The film throws its characters into increasingly absurd situations, with alien monsters, mercenaries with heavy weapons, old technology, and what appears to be an endless reserve of explosions. Lilith, played by Cate Blanchett, is a bounty hunter hired to find a missing girl on the dangerous planet Pandora. The film features Kevin Hart as Roland, Ariana Greenblatt as Tiny Tina, and Jack Black as the annoying robot Claptrap. The connection to Lynch goes beyond the director’s chair; Jack Black admitted he channeled David Lynch for Claptrap’s voice performance, aiming for „a little old American, but with a distorted and surreal view of the world.”

Roth himself mentioned the influence of several major genre directors on the film. There is a touch of George Miller, John Carpenter, and Luc Besson in the mix, especially the colorful and free approach of Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets. Blanchett clearly understands the type of film she is making, spending much of her screen time pulling at people, striking poses, and seeming to have a great time. Gina Gershon is another highlight as Mad Moxxi, a flamboyant bar owner who would not seem out of place in one of Besson’s most eccentric films. Neither actress appears out of place or embarrassed by her presence there.

The Lynchian roots of Roth’s career

Roth worked with Lynch long before directing Borderlands, producing content for the filmmaker’s website in the early days of internet entertainment. Roth spoke about Lynch’s influence on his career, especially the unpleasant mix of comedy and horror present in Twin Peaks. He also collaborated with composer Angelo Badalamenti, whose music helped define the distinctive soundscape of Lynch’s TV series. Badalamenti composed elements of the score for Roth’s feature directorial debut, Cabin Fever. Although Roth is known for gruesome horror films, his career has deep Lynchian roots.

Lynch’s experience with Star Wars was far less productive. Lynch visited Lucasfilm, having been invited by Lucas to discuss directing Return of the Jedi, and was shown several of the creatures and concepts developed for the sequel. This gave him a headache, and he ended up telling his agent he couldn’t make the film. Lynch recalled saying Lucas should direct it himself, since he invented the entire universe. The role was eventually taken by Richard Marquand, and Lynch went on to make his own expensive sci-fi adventure, Dune (1984). That film became a famously problematic adaptation. Forty years later, Roth found himself in the position of directing his own problematic adaptation.

Most of the audience following the game franchise had high expectations for Borderlands, and it’s easy to understand why. The games have their own unique characters, mythology, and sense of humor, much of which was altered or thrown out for the film. Fans expecting a faithful adaptation were left cold. But if we set aside those expectations, Borderlands is an unexpectedly fun return to an era when filmmakers could afford to create ridiculous sci-fi adventures simply because spaceships, laser guns, and monsters are fun. This is not exactly the Star Wars film David Lynch didn’t make, but it’s amusing that his former protégé keeps the flame alive.