The second installment of Denis Villeneuve’s Dune franchise isn’t the only new entry into Dune‘s world coming our way. Warner Media, together with Legendary Television, is creating a Dune tie-in series titled Dune: Prophecy. The show will serve as a prequel to the films and focus on the Harkonnen Sisters as they create the mysterious order of the Bene Gesserit. Villeneuve will even serve as an executive producer.
Here’s everything we know about Dune: Prophecy so far.
Title
The title for this Dune series was announced as Dune: Sisterhood. However, the series has been renamed Dune: Prophecy.
Dune: Prophecy‘s Plot
We do not have specifics about Dune: Prophecy‘s plot. But, as mentioned, we do know it will serve as a prequel to the story taking place in Dune: Part One and Dune: Part Two. A logline for the show reveals more about what we can expect:
10,000 years before the ascension of Paul Atreides, DUNE: PROPHECY follows two Harkonnen sisters as they combat forces that threaten the future of humankind and establish the fabled sect that will become known as the Bene Gesserit. This is the origin story of the Sisterhood during one of the most turbulent and pivotal turning points in the Dune universe’s history.
In a full profile in Entertainment Weekly, we learn even more.
“We get to see how it all started,” showrunner Alison Schapker tells Entertainment Weekly during a brief break from post-production, in her first interview about Dune: Prophecy. “When we meet Valya Harkonnen, she is a girl whose family has experienced a tremendous fall from power and has lost its noble status. She dreams of restoring what she feels is rightfully theirs. How she goes from being someone obsessed with rebuilding her noble house to being someone who is dedicated to the Sisterhood above all is a big part of the story. It’s not a girlhood coming-of-age narrative so much as a woman’s rise to power from a Harkonnen perspective.”
Behind the Scenes
To help cement the connection between the series and movies, Denis Villeneuve will serve as an executive producer on Dune: Prophecy. Meanwhile, Alison Schapker will be the showrunner and an executive producer of the series. Schapker previously worked as an executive producer on Westworld. She also had a hand in Netflix’s Altered Carbon and other series like Fringe, Lost, and Almost Human. Additionally, Warner Media shares that “Diane Ademu-John serves as creator, writer, and executive producer.”
According to a release:
Academy Award-nominated writer Jon Spaihts, Scott Z. Burns, Mark Friedman and Matthew King will executive produce with Brian Herbert, Byron Merritt and Kim Herbert for the Frank Herbert estate. Kevin J. Anderson will co-produce. The series is co-produced by HBO Max and Legendary Television with Legendary also producing the film franchise that released its first installment to critical acclaim in October 2021 and garnered six Academy Awards, including Oscar nominations for Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay.
Dune: Prophecy‘s Cast
So far, we’ve seen quite a few exciting casting announcements for Dune: Prophecy.
Emily Watson will act as the lead of the show. Watson will play the role of Valya Harkonnen. Shirley Henderson was slated to play Tula Harkonnen but has exited the series. Other cast members include:
- Johdi May as Empress Natalya, a formidable royal who united thousands of worlds in her marriage to Emperor Corrino
- Sarah-Sofie Boussnina as Princess Ynez, an independent young princess dealing with the pressures of her responsibility as heir to the Golden Lion Throne
- Shalom Brune-Franklin as Mikaela, a strong-willed Fremen woman who serves the royal family while longing for a home planet she’s never known
- Faoileann Cunningham as Sister Jen, a fierce, unpredictable acolyte in training at the Sisterhood School who rarely reveals her emotional core
- Aoife Hinds as Sister Emeline, a zealous acolyte descended from a long line of martyrs, who carries fervent religion to her training at the Sisterhood
- Chloe Lea as Lila, the youngest acolyte at the Sisterhood School with a deep empathy beyond her years
- Travis Fimmel as Desmond Hart, a charismatic soldier with an enigmatic past, who seeks to gain the Emperor’s trust at the expense of the Sisterhood
- Mark Strong as Javicco Corrino, a man from a great line of war-time Emperors, who is called upon to govern the Imperium and manage a fragile peace
- Jade Anouka as Sister Theodosia, a talented and ambitious acolyte at the Sisterhood who harbors a dangerous secret about her past
- Chris Mason as Keiran Atreides, a Swordmaster to a Great House whose ambition to live up to his family name is disrupted when he forms an unexpected connection to a member of the royal family
- Josh Heuston as Constantine, the illegitimate son of the Emperor (Strong). His character is described as being ‘torn between seeking his father’s approval and his own happiness
- Edward Davis as Harrow Harkonnen, a rising politician from a once-great family, who harbors a strong desire to elevate his House to its former glory
Entertainment Weekly shared several images from the series in mid-September, 2024. They depict characters from the series, like Desmond Hart, Emperor Corrino, and Valya Harkonnen. Check them out below.
Dune: Prophecy‘s Release Date
Dune: Prophecy does not yet have a release date, but it will arrive in November.
Originally published in 2021.
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