Dune: Prophecy Explained
Dune: Prophecy is an upcoming American science fiction television series created by Diane Ademu-John. It serves as a prequel to the film Dune (2021), which was based on the 1963–1965 novel of the same name by Frank Herbert, and focuses on the origins of the Bene Gesserit, an exclusive and powerful sisterhood who undergo intense physical training and mental conditioning to obtain superhuman abilities, taking place approximately 10,000 years before the events of the film. The series is produced by Legendary Television, with Alison Schapker serving as showrunner, writer, and executive producer.
During Legendary Entertainment's 2016 acquisition of television and film rights for the Dune franchise, they began development of a two-part film adaptation with Denis Villeneuve serving as director by 2017. Legendary Television ordered the series in 2019, being a spin-off project from Villeneuve's films. Various creative figures have joined by 2019, and following creative overhauls, Schapker became the show-runner with Anna Foerster serving as director for multiple episodes by June 2023. Meanwhile, casting took place from November 2022 to June 2023. Filming began by November 2022 in Budapest and Jordan and wrapped by December 2023.
Dune: Prophecy is scheduled to premiere as an HBO original on both HBO and the streaming service Max in November 2024.
Premise
Set 10,000 years before the events of Dune, the series "follows sisters Valya and Tula Harkonnen as they combat forces that threaten the future of humanity, and establish the fabled sect known as the Bene Gesserit."
Cast
Main
- Emily Watson as Valya Harkonnen, leader of the Sisterhood
- Olivia Williams as Tula Harkonnen, Valya's sister and a Reverend Mother
- Jodhi 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 Emperor 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."
Recurring
- Josh Heuston as Constantine Corrino, the illegitimate son of Javicco who is "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."
- Tabu as Sister Francesca, the Emperor's former lover whose return to the palace "strains the balance of power in the capital."
- Jihae as Reverend Mother Kasha Jinjo, the Emperor's Truthsayer, whose loyalty to the Sisterhood is challenged.
Production
Development
In November 2016, Legendary Entertainment had acquired the film and television rights for the 1965 novel Dune by Frank Herbert from his estate.[1] [2] Legendary eventually contacted Denis Villeneuve to direct a two-part film adaptation of the novel by the next month, and was confirmed as director by February 2017.[3] [4] Legendary Television announced a full series order of Dune: The Sisterhood in June 2019, produced for WarnerMedia's then-streaming service HBO Max.[5] [6] [7] The series would focus on the Bene Gesserit order and serve as a prequel to Villeneuve's Dune (2021).[8] Villeneuve was set to direct and produce the series' pilot with Jon Spaihts writing the screenplay. Both would serve as executive producers alongside Byron Merritt, Kim Herbert, Kevin J. Anderson, and Herbert's son, Brian.[9] [10] Villeneuve said, "The Bene Gesserit have always been fascinating to me. Focusing a series around that powerful order of women seemed not only relevant and inspiring but a dynamic setting for the television series."[11]
Shortly after its announcement, the project received criticism for its lack of female creatives except for Herbert's granddaughter, Kim Herbert.[12] [13] Dana Calvo was hired in July 2019 to serve as showrunner alongside Spaihts.[14] [15] In November 2019, Spaihts left the series to focus on (2024).[16] [17] The Hollywood Reporter reported that Legendary Television was "not happy" with Spaihts's early work as showrunner and opted to remove him.[16] Diane Ademu-John had been hired as the new showrunner by July 2021.[18] [19] As production of Dune: Part Two progressed, Villeneuve was no longer able to direct and replaced by Johan Renck as director for the first two episodes in April 2022.[20] Shortly after production began, Diane Ademu-John had exited the project as co-showrunner but remained the executive producer; this left Alison Schapker as the sole showrunner.[21] In February 2023, Renck also exited the project, resulting in the project being on hiatus.[22] He was replaced by Anna Foerster that June, who would direct multiple episodes, including the pilot.[23] In November 2023, the series was retitled Dune: Prophecy and set to release on Warner Bros. Discovery’s streaming service, Max.[24] [25]
Casting
In October 2022, Emily Watson, Shirley Henderson, Indira Varma, Sarah-Sofie Boussnina, Shalom Brune-Franklin, Faoileann Cunningham, Aoife Hinds, and Chloe Lea were cast to star in the series.[26] [27] [28] Travis Fimmel joined the cast the following month.[29] [30] On December 1, 2022, Mark Strong, Jade Anouka, and Chris Mason joined the cast in starring roles.[31] Josh Heuston and Edward Davis would join in recurring roles later that month.[32] During Renck's exit in February 2023, Henderson had also left. In June, Olivia Williams was cast to replace Henderson, with Jodhi May cast to replace Varma, who exited the series due to scheduling conflicts. In May 2024, it was announced that Tabu had joined the cast of the series as Sister Francesca,[33] and Jihae was cast as Reverend Mother Kasha, the Emperor's Truthsayer.[34]
Filming
The series was originally scheduled to start filming on November 2, 2020, in Budapest and Jordan.[35] It began production on November 22, 2022, under the working title Dune: The Sisterhood, with Renck confirming the start on his Instagram account.[36] [37] In July 2023, Deadline Hollywood reported that production was set to resume in Budapest amidst the WGA and SAG strikes due to the series' talent working under the UK-based union Equity.[38] Filming had concluded by December 2023, with Pierre Gill having served as lead cinematographer. Gill did not use the StageCraft virtual production technology, which he had previously utilized in Percy Jackson and the Olympians, as the production primarily relied on practical sets and production values.[39]
Music
Jónsi was originally hired to compose the show's score.[40] However, by October 2023, Volker Bertelmann was set to compose the score for the series.[41]
Marketing
Max released a teaser trailer for the series on May 15, 2024.[42] A second teaser was released on July 18, 2024.[43]
Release
Originally to premiere on the streaming service Max, Dune: Prophecy was rebranded as an HBO original in July 2024 and is scheduled to be released on Max and HBO in November 2024.[44]
Notes and References
- Web site: Busch . Anita . November 21, 2016 . Legendary Acquires Frank Herbert's Classic Sci-Fi Novel Dune For Film And TV . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20161222045356/http://deadline.com/2016/11/dune-frank-herbert-sci-fi-novel-legendary-rights-acquisition-1201858221/ . December 22, 2016 . December 22, 2016 . Deadline Hollywood.
- Web site: Kroll . Justin . November 21, 2016 . Legendary Lands Rights to Classic Sci-Fi Novel Dune . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20161222044604/http://variety.com/2016/film/news/legendary-dune-frank-herbert-1201923648/ . December 22, 2016 . December 22, 2016 . Variety.
- News: Kroll . Justin . December 21, 2016 . Blade Runner 2049 Helmer Denis Villeneuve Eyed to Direct Dune Reboot . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20161222065624/http://variety.com/2016/film/news/denis-villeneuve-dune-reboot-legendary-pictures-1201929280/ . December 22, 2016 . December 22, 2016 . Variety.
- Vilkomerson . Sara . February 1, 2017 . Denis Villeneuve officially set to direct Dune reboot . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20190131190447/https://ew.com/movies/2017/02/01/denis-villeneuve-directing-dune-movie/ . January 31, 2019 . February 15, 2019 . Entertainment Weekly.
- Web site: Andreeva . Nellie . June 10, 2019 . Dune: The Sisterhood Series Ordered by WarnerMedia Streaming Service with Denis Villeneuve Directing . July 1, 2019 . . June 28, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190628121318/https://deadline.com/2019/06/dune-the-sisterhood-series-warnermedia-streaming-service-1202630479/ . live .
- Web site: Spangler . Todd . July 9, 2019 . Friends to Leave Netflix for WarnerMedia's HBO Max Streaming Service in 2020 . July 9, 2019 . . July 9, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190709173957/https://variety.com/2019/digital/news/warnermedia-hbo-max-friends-exclusive-streaming-1203262335/ . live .
- Web site: Welch . Chris . July 9, 2019 . WarnerMedia Confirms Tts Netflix Rival Will Be Called HBO Max . . July 9, 2019 . . August 22, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190822095403/https://www.theverge.com/2019/7/9/20687792/hbo-max-warnermedia-announcement-friends-streaming-details-subscription-service . live.
- Web site: Eddy . Cheryl . June 10, 2019 . A Dune: The Sisterhood Series Is Coming from Denis Villeneuve and WarnerMedia's Streaming Service . July 1, 2019 . . July 1, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190701230416/https://io9.gizmodo.com/a-dune-the-sisterhood-series-is-coming-from-denis-vill-1835388591 . live .
- Web site: Otterson . Joe . June 10, 2019 . Dune Series Ordered at WarnerMedia Streaming Service, Denis Villeneuve to Direct . June 28, 2019 . . . June 11, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190611000442/https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/dune-series-bene-gesserit-warnermedia-streaming-service-1203238799/ . live .
- Web site: Goldberg . Lesley . June 10, 2019 . Dune: The Sisterhood TV Series a Go at WarnerMedia . June 28, 2019 . . June 21, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190621043528/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/dune-sisterhood-tv-series-a-go-at-warnermedia-1217286 . live .
- Web site: Cooper . Gael Fashingbauer . June 10, 2019 . Dune: The Sisterhood Series Coming to WarnerMedia Streaming Service . July 1, 2019 . . July 1, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190701230713/https://www.cnet.com/news/dune-the-sisterhood-series-coming-to-warnermedia-streaming-service/ . live .
- Web site: Asher-Perrin . Emily . June 11, 2019 . Dune: The Sisterhood Series in the Works For WarnerMedia's New Streaming Service . July 17, 2019 . . June 29, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190629183845/https://www.tor.com/2019/06/11/dune-the-sisterhood-series-in-the-works-for-warnermedias-new-streaming-service/ . live .
- Web site: Tarr . Judith . July 16, 2019 . The Story of Dune Bene Gesserit Needs the Perspective of Women Writers . July 17, 2019 . . July 16, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190716190853/https://www.tor.com/2019/07/16/the-story-of-dunes-bene-gesserit-needs-the-perspective-of-women-writers/ . live .
- Web site: Petski . Denise . July 23, 2019 . Dana Calvo To Co-Run Dune: The Sisterhood Under New Overall Deal With Legendary TV Studios . July 24, 2019 . . July 23, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190723230549/https://deadline.com/2019/07/dana-calvo-to-co-run-dune-the-sisterhood-under-new-overall-deal-with-legendary-tv-studios-1202651452/ . live .
- Web site: Schaefer . Sandy . July 23, 2019 . Dune: The Sisterhood Series Gets a Female Co-Showrunner . July 24, 2019 . . July 24, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190724134334/https://screenrant.com/dune-sisterhood-series-showrunners/ . live .
- Web site: Goldberg . Lesley . November 5, 2019 . Dune: The Sisterhood Showrunner to Exit HBO Max Series . January 12, 2020 . . December 16, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191216003641/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/dune-sisterhood-showrunner-exit-hbo-max-series-1252449 . live .
- Web site: Sharf . Zack . November 5, 2019 . Denis Villeneuve's Dune Movie Sequel Takes Step Forward in Development . January 7, 2020 . . December 11, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191211091104/https://www.indiewire.com/2019/11/denis-villeneuve-dune-movie-sequel-screenwriter-hired-1202187467/ . live .
- Web site: Otterson . Joe . July 22, 2021 . Dune HBO Max Series Enlists Diane Ademu-John as New Showrunner . July 22, 2021 . . en-US . July 22, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210722160643/https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/dune-tv-series-hbo-max-showrunner-diane-ademu-john-1235024854/ . live .
- Web site: Barsanti . Sam . July 22, 2021 . Don't forget about HBO Max's Dune TV show, which now has Diane Ademu-John as showrunner . August 12, 2021 . . August 12, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210812140751/https://www.avclub.com/dont-forget-about-hbo-maxs-dune-tv-show-which-now-has-1847344289 . live .
- Web site: Otterson . Joe . April 27, 2022 . Dune Prequel Series at HBO Max Taps Chernobyl Director Johan Renck to Helm First Two Episodes . . April 27, 2022 . . April 27, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220427174543/https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/dune-prequel-series-hbo-max-johan-renck-director-1235242651/ . live .
- Web site: Andreeva . Nellie . November 23, 2022 . Dune: The Sisterhood Creator Diane Ademu-John Steps Down as Co-Showrunner of HBO Max Series . November 24, 2022 . . November 23, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221123235926/https://deadline.com/2022/11/dune-the-sisterhood-diane-ademu-john-exits-co-showrunner-hbo-max-series-1235181229/ . live .
- Web site: Cordero . Rosy . June 30, 2023 . Dune: The Sisterhood: Olivia Williams & Jodhi May Join Max Series in Recastings as Anna Foerster Boards as New Director . 30 June 2023 . . July 14, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230714161930/https://deadline.com/2023/06/dune-the-sisterhood-olivia-williams-jodhi-may-max-series-recasting-anna-foerster-director-1235428218/ . live .
- Web site: Cordero . Rosy . Andreeva . Nellie . February 28, 2023 . Dune: The Sisterhood: Director Johan Renck & Star Shirley Henderson Exit HBO Max Series Amid Creative Overhaul & Production Hiatus . 1 March 2023 . . May 7, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230507184824/https://deadline.com/2023/02/dune-the-sisterhood-director-johan-renck-shirley-henderson-exit-hbo-max-series-1235273486/ . live .
- Web site: Iannucci . Rebecca . November 2, 2023 . HBO Lays Out 2024 Release Plan for House of the Dragon, Curb and Others . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20231102162825/https://tvline.com/news/house-of-the-dragon-season-2-release-date-hbo-update-1235069564/ . November 2, 2023 . November 2, 2023 . TVLine.
- Web site: Stedman . Alex . Yin-Poole . Wesley . November 3, 2023 . Dune: The Sisterhood Renamed Dune: Prophecy . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20231103110240/https://www.ign.com/articles/dune-the-sisterhood-renamed-dune-prophecy . November 3, 2023 . February 4, 2024 . IGN.
- Web site: Otterson . Joe . October 4, 2022 . Dune Prequel Series at HBO Max Casts Emily Watson, Shirley Henderson . October 4, 2022 . . October 17, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221017022940/https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/dune-prequel-series-hbo-max-cast-emily-watson-shirley-henderson-1235392857/ . live .
- Web site: Wiseman . Andreas . October 13, 2022 . Dune: The Sisterhood: Game of Thrones & Obi-Wan Star Indira Varma Joins HBO Max & Legendary Prequel Series as Empress Natalya . October 13, 2022 . . April 10, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230410193357/https://deadline.com/2022/10/dune-the-sisterhood-game-of-thrones-obi-wan-star-indira-varma-joins-hbo-max-legendary-prequel-series-as-empress-natalya-1235143681/ . live .
- Web site: Petski . Denise . October 20, 2022 . Dune: The Sisterhood: Sarah-Sofie Boussnina Among 5 Cast in HBO Max Series . October 20, 2022 . . March 1, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230301215459/https://deadline.com/2022/10/dune-the-sisterhood-sarah-sofie-boussnina-among-cast-hbo-max-series-1235150993/ . live .
- Web site: Otterson . Joe . November 8, 2022 . Dune Prequel Series at HBO Max Casts Travis Fimmel . November 23, 2022 . . November 9, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221109011959/https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/dune-prequel-series-hbo-max-cast-travis-fimmel-1235427280/ . live .
- Web site: Andreeva . Nellie . November 9, 2022 . Travis Fimmel To Star In Dune: The Sisterhood HBO Max Series . November 9, 2022 . . November 9, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221109011756/https://deadline.com/2022/11/travis-fimmel-cast-dune-the-sisterhood-hbo-max-series-1235167271/ . live .
- Web site: Otterson . Joe . December 1, 2022 . Dune Prequel Series at HBO Max Adds Mark Strong, Jade Anouka, Chris Mason . December 1, 2022 . . July 5, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230705021514/https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/dune-prequel-series-hbo-max-cast-mark-strong-jade-anouka-chris-mason-1235447074/ . live .
- Web site: Otterson . Joe . December 13, 2022 . Dune Prequel Series at HBO Max Adds Josh Heuston, Edward Davis . 13 December 2022 . . March 27, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230327141513/https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/dune-prequel-series-hbo-max-cast-josh-heuston-edward-davis-1235459560/ . live .
- Web site: Otterson . Joe . May 13, 2024 . Dune: Prophecy Casts Indian Superstar Tabu (Exclusive) . May 13, 2024 . . May 13, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240513200508/https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/dune-prophecy-cast-tabu-1236000907/ . live.
- Web site: Dune: Prophecy Casts Succession Alum Jihae. Variety. Joe. Otterson. May 15, 2024. May 15, 2024. May 15, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240515155359/https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/dune-prophecy-cast-jihae-1236003789/. live.
- Web site: May 7, 2020 . Dune: The Sisterhood . May 8, 2020 . productionlist.com . May 11, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200511094317/https://productionlist.com/production/dune-the-sisterhood/ . live .
- Web site: McPherson . Christopher . November 22, 2022 . Dune Prequel Series The Sisterhood Begins Filming . 23 November 2022 . . November 23, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221123011142/https://collider.com/dune-prequel-series-begins-filming/ . live .
- Web site: Wiseman . Andreas . October 14, 2022 . Dune: The Sisterhood: Start Date & Location Confirmed for HBO Max & Legendary Prequel Series . October 14, 2022 . . October 14, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221014162126/https://deadline.com/2022/10/dune-sisterhood-start-date-location-confirmed-hbo-max-legendary-prequel-series-1235145119/ . live .
- Web site: Grobar . Matt . July 14, 2023 . Dune: The Sisterhood Soon to Resume Production in Hungary Following Winter Hiatus, Will Continue Throughout Strikes . July 14, 2023 . . en-US . July 14, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230714170522/https://deadline.com/2023/07/dune-tv-show-production-continues-through-strikes-1235437777/ . live .
- Web site: McPherson . Chris . January 15, 2024 . 'Dune: Prophecy' Didn't Use the Volume . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240205043346/https://collider.com/dune-prophecy-series-no-volume/ . February 5, 2024 . February 4, 2024 . Collider.
- Web site: Jónsi . 2022-12-04 . Representing Composers & Music Supervisors . en-US . December 4, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221204113356/http://allegro-talentgroup.squarespace.com/jnsi . dead .
- Web site: October 16, 2023 . Volker Bertelmann to Score Max's Dune: The Sisterhood . October 17, 2023 . Film Music Reporter . October 17, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231017090019/http://filmmusicreporter.com/2023/10/16/volker-bertelmann-to-score-maxs-dune-the-sisterhood/ . live .
- Web site: Dune: Prophecy Teaser Trailer Released by Max. James. Hibberd. The Hollywood Reporter. May 15, 2024. May 21, 2024. May 17, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240517080548/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/dune-prophecy-teaser-trailer-max-1235899861/. live.
- Web site: Dunn . Jack . 2024-07-18 . ‘Dune: Prophecy’ Trailer: The Bene Gesserit Are Created in Prequel Series Set 10,000 Years Before ‘Dune,’ November Release Set . 2024-07-18 . Variety.
- Web site: Max Originals The Penguin & Dune: Prophecy Moving to HBO. Peter. White. July 11, 2024. Deadline Hollywood. June 11, 2024. July 11, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240711143824/https://deadline.com/2024/07/the-penguin-dune-prophecy-hbo-1236006935/. live.