The first trailer for “Dune: Prophecy” was released last week. The upcoming show will take place in the “Dune” universe, set 10,000 years before the birth of Paul Atreides. The series will be released on Max this fall.
“Dune: Part One” and “Dune: Part Two” were directed by Denis Villeneuve and featured stars like Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin and Oscar Isaac. The films enjoyed exceptional box office success, and “Dune” (2021) earned six Oscars, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Here’s what to know about the next stage in the “Dune” saga.
What is ‘Dune: Prophecy’?
According to Screenrant, The series will feature a female-led cast in a story that takes place long before the events of “Dune.” Two sisters — Valya and Tula — will come together to form the Bene Gesserit sisterhood, a group of women who seek to establish stability in the universe.
The trailer features familiar aspects of the “Dune” universe, including characters fighting with blue, holographic shields. The architecture and futuristic spacecrafts take after the creative aesthetic of “Dune.” Featured characters include members of House Harkonnen and House Atreides.
At the end of the trailer, Valya Harkonnen (Emily Watson) is featured saying, “Sisterhood above all.”
According to Variety, “The six-episode series will debut this fall, but no official premiere date has been set at this time.” The cast has many notable stars, including:
- Emily Watson.
- Olivia Williams.
- Johdi May.
- Mark Strong.
- Travis Fimmel.
- Sara-Sofie Boussnina.
- Josh Heuston.
- Chloe Lea.
- Faoileann Cunningham.
- Jade Anouka.
- Edward Davis.
- Aoife Hinds.
- Shalom Brune-Franklin.
- Chris Mason.
Tabu, an accomplished Indian actress, and Jihae, a South Korean actress and musician, will also join the cast in recurring roles.
When will Dune: Prophecy come out?
The series hasn’t been given an official release date, but the episodes are expected to release fall 2024. It will be streamed on Max — formerly HBO Max.
According to Screenrant, the television series will not be directly based on one of Frank Herbert’s “Dune” books. However, the story will still take place within the universe Herbert created, contributing to the context behind “the group’s early traditions and practices and how their network evolved as they instituted relationships with great houses.”
While a third “Dune” movie — “Dune: Messiah” — has been confirmed, it will not be released for some time. According to Screenrant, the prequel show will make up for the gap between the second and third “Dune” movies while providing “a way to further explore the universe’s worldbuilding and mythology.”
The series pilot was originally set to be directed by Denis Villeneuve, according to The Guardian. The show endured several changes before Villeneuve backed out due to scheduling conflicts. “The series now counts Anna Foerster as one of the key directors. Her credits include episodes of ‘Outlander’ and the action sequel ‘Underworld: Blood Wars.’”
Per the Guardian, Villeneuve has expressed high hopes for the show. “The Bene Gesserit have always been fascinating to me,” he said of the series. “Focusing a series around that powerful order of women seemed not only relevant and inspiring but a dynamic setting for the television series.”
While the show was originally developed in 2019, it went through several revisions and changes and went by the name of “Dune: Sisterhood” before becoming “Dune: Prophecy.”
The show will focus notably on the women of the “Dune” universe. While the “Dune” movies featured characters such as Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) and Chani (Zendaya), the story still focused largely on the rise of Paul Atreides. According to Screenrant, the new series will focus entirely on female characters and their influence in the Bene Gesserit Sisterhood and in the universe.