If fear is the mindkiller, then stupidity must be the pocketbook-killer. Just ask the crypto bros who made a three million dollar mistake by failing to read the fine print. An anonymous NFT group called Spice DAO (decentralized anonymous organization) made waves when they triumphantly tweeted about their acquisition of a rare art book: Jodorowsky’s Dune, the guidebook to an ambitious but ill-fated film adaptation of Frank Herbert’s Dune. These spiceheads had big plans to convert the book into NFTs, burn the physical copy, and adapt the story into an animated series. There’s just one problem: little did they know, the purchase didn’t mean they actually own the copyright to Dune. All they own is one very, very expensive book. Before we get too deep into this tale of crypto folly, a little primer on the book: back in 1974, director Alexander Jodorowsky set out to make a film adaptation of Dune. Two years into the process, the project was killed due to a lack of funding, but not before it became the stuff of cinematic legend. Jodorowsky envisioned the film at a whopping fourteen hours long, with a score by Pink Floyd; meanwhile, Salvador Dalí signed on to play Padishah Emperor Shaddam Corrino, though his exorbitant salary may have been the project’s kiss of death. Dead-set on becoming the highest-paid actor in history, Dalí demanded to be paid $100,000 per… Click below to read the full story from Esquire
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The Crypto Bros Who Thought They Bought the Dune Rights Feel Misunderstood
