Dune: Prophecy
Dune: Prophecy | |
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Genre | |
Created by | Diane Ademu-John[1] |
Based on | |
Starring | |
Music by | Volker Bertelmann |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
Production | |
Executive producers |
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Producer | Kevin J. Anderson |
Production locations | |
Production companies |
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Original release | |
Network | Max |
Dune: Prophecy is an upcoming American science fiction television series set in the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert, for the streaming service Max. Focusing on the origins of the Bene Gesserit, an exclusive and powerful sisterhood who undergo intense physical training and mental conditioning to obtain superhuman abilities, it takes place approximately 10,000 years before the events of Herbert's novel Dune (1965) and serves as a prequel to Denis Villeneuve's Dune (2021). 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 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.
It is scheduled to premiere on Max in late 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 humankind, and establish the fabled sect known as the Bene Gesserit.[2]
Cast
Main
- Emily Watson as Valya Harkonnen[3]
- Olivia Williams as Tula Harkonnen[4]
- Jodhi May as Empress Natalya,[4] "a formidable royal who united thousands of worlds in her marriage to Emperor Corrino."[5]
- Sarah-Sofie Boussnina as Princess Ynez, "an independent young princess dealing with the pressures of her responsibility as heir to the Golden Lion Throne."[6]
- 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."[6]
- Faoileann Cunningham as Sister Jen, "a fierce, unpredictable acolyte in training at the Sisterhood School who rarely reveals her emotional core."[6]
- 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."[6]
- Chloe Lea as Lila, "the youngest acolyte at the Sisterhood School with a deep empathy beyond her years."[6]
- 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."[2]
- 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."[1]
- Jade Anouka as Sister Theodosia, "a talented and ambitious acolyte at the Sisterhood who harbors a dangerous secret about her past."[1]
- 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."[1]
Recurring
- Josh Heuston as Constantine Corrino, the illegitimate son of Javicco who is "torn between seeking his father's approval and his own happiness."[7]
- 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."[7]
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.[8][9] 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.[10][11] Legendary Television announced a full series order of Dune: The Sisterhood in June 2019, produced for WarnerMedia's then-streaming service HBO Max.[12][13][14] The series would focus on the Bene Gesserit order and serve as a prequel to Villeneuve's Dune (2021).[15] 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.[16][17] 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."[18]
Shortly after its announcement, the project received criticism for its lack of female creatives except for Herbert's granddaughter, Kim Herbert.[19][20] Dana Calvo was hired in July 2019 to serve as showrunner alongside Spaihts.[21][22] In November 2019, Spaihts left the series to focus on Dune: Part Two (2024).[23][24] The Hollywood Reporter reported that Legendary Television was "not happy" with Spaihts's early work as showrunner and opted to remove him.[23] Diane Ademu-John had been hired as the new showrunner by July 2021.[25][26] 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.[27] 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.[28] In February 2023, Renck also exited the project, resulting in the project being on hiatus.[4] He was replaced by Anna Foerster that June, who would direct multiple episodes, including the pilot.[29] In November 2023, the series was retitled Dune: Prophecy and set to release on WarnerMedia's new streaming service, Max.[30][31]
Casting
In October, 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.[3][5][6] Travis Fimmel joined the cast the following month.[2][32] On December 1, 2022, Mark Strong, Jade Anouka, and Chris Mason joined the cast in starring roles.[1] Josh Heuston and Edward Davis would join in recurring roles later that month.[7] During Renck's exit in February 2023, Henderson had also left.[29] In June, Olivia Williams was cast to replace Henderson, with Jodhi May cast to replace Varma, who exited the series due to scheduling conflicts.[4]
Filming
The series was originally scheduled to start filming on November 2, 2020, in Budapest and Jordan.[33] It began production on November 22, 2022, under the working title Dune: The Sisterhood, with Renck confirming the start on his Instagram account.[34][35] 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.[36] 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.[37]
Music
Jónsi was originally hired to compose the show's score.[38] However, by October 2023, Volker Bertelmann was set to compose the score for the series.[39]
Release
Dune: Prophecy is scheduled to be released on Max in late 2024.[30]
References
- ^ a b c d e Otterson, Joe (December 1, 2022). "Dune Prequel Series at HBO Max Adds Mark Strong, Jade Anouka, Chris Mason". Variety. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
- ^ a b c Otterson, Joe (November 8, 2022). "Dune Prequel Series at HBO Max Casts Travis Fimmel". Variety. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
- ^ a b Otterson, Joe (October 4, 2022). "Dune Prequel Series at HBO Max Casts Emily Watson, Shirley Henderson". Variety. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
- ^ a b c d Cordero, Rosy (June 30, 2023). "Dune: The Sisterhood: Olivia Williams & Jodhi May Join Max Series in Recastings as Anna Foerster Boards as New Director". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
- ^ a b 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". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 13, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f Petski, Denise (October 20, 2022). "Dune: The Sisterhood: Sarah-Sofie Boussnina Among 5 Cast in HBO Max Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
- ^ a b c Otterson, Joe (December 13, 2022). "Dune Prequel Series at HBO Max Adds Josh Heuston, Edward Davis". Variety. Retrieved December 13, 2022.
- ^ Busch, Anita (November 21, 2016). "Legendary Acquires Frank Herbert's Classic Sci-Fi Novel Dune For Film And TV". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 22, 2016. Retrieved December 22, 2016.
- ^ Kroll, Justin (November 21, 2016). "Legendary Lands Rights to Classic Sci-Fi Novel Dune". Variety. Archived from the original on December 22, 2016. Retrieved December 22, 2016.
- ^ Kroll, Justin (December 21, 2016). "Blade Runner 2049 Helmer Denis Villeneuve Eyed to Direct Dune Reboot". Variety. Archived from the original on December 22, 2016. Retrieved December 22, 2016.
- ^ Vilkomerson, Sara (February 1, 2017). "Denis Villeneuve officially set to direct Dune reboot". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on January 31, 2019. Retrieved February 15, 2019.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (June 10, 2019). "Dune: The Sisterhood Series Ordered By WarnerMedia Streaming Service With Denis Villeneuve Directing". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
- ^ Spangler, Todd (July 9, 2019). "Friends to Leave Netflix for WarnerMedia's HBO Max Streaming Service in 2020". Variety. Retrieved July 9, 2019.
- ^ Welch, Chris (July 9, 2019). "WarnerMedia confirms its Netflix rival will be called HBO Max". The Verge. Vox Media. Retrieved July 9, 2019.
- ^ Eddy, Cheryl (June 10, 2019). "A Dune: The Sisterhood Series Is Coming From Denis Villeneuve and WarnerMedia's Streaming Service". io9. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
- ^ Otterson, Joe (June 10, 2019). "Dune Series Ordered at WarnerMedia Streaming Service, Denis Villeneuve to Direct". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved June 28, 2019.
- ^ Goldberg, Lesley (June 10, 2019). "Dune: The Sisterhood TV Series a Go at WarnerMedia". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 28, 2019.
- ^ Cooper, Gael Fashingbauer (June 10, 2019). "Dune: The Sisterhood series coming to WarnerMedia streaming service". CNet. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
- ^ Asher-Perrin, Emily (June 11, 2019). "Dune: The Sisterhood Series in the Works For WarnerMedia's New Streaming Service". Tor.com. Retrieved July 17, 2019.
- ^ Tarr, Judith (July 16, 2019). "The Story of Dune's Bene Gesserit Needs the Perspective of Women Writers". Tor.com. Retrieved July 17, 2019.
- ^ Petski, Denise (July 23, 2019). "Dana Calvo To Co-Run Dune: The Sisterhood Under New Overall Deal With Legendary TV Studios". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
- ^ Schaefer, Sandy (July 23, 2019). "Dune: The Sisterhood Series Gets a Female Co-Showrunner". Screen Rant. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
- ^ a b Goldberg, Lesley (November 5, 2019). "Dune: The Sisterhood Showrunner to Exit HBO Max Series". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
- ^ Sharf, Zack (November 5, 2019). "Denis Villeneuve's Dune Movie Sequel Takes Step Forward in Development". IndieWire. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
- ^ Otterson, Joe (July 22, 2021). "Dune HBO Max Series Enlists Diane Ademu-John as New Showrunner". Variety. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
- ^ Barsanti, Sam (July 22, 2021). "Don't forget about HBO Max's Dune TV show, which now has Diane Ademu-John as showrunner". The A.V. Club. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
- ^ Otterson, Joe (April 27, 2022). "Dune Prequel Series at HBO Max Taps Chernobyl Director Johan Renck to Helm First Two Episodes". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved April 27, 2022.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (November 23, 2022). "Dune: The Sisterhood Creator Diane Ademu-John Steps Down as Co-Showrunner of HBO Max Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 24, 2022.
- ^ a b 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". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
- ^ a b Iannucci, Rebecca (November 2, 2023). "HBO Lays Out 2024 Release Plan for House of the Dragon, Curb and Others". TVLine. Archived from the original on November 2, 2023. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
- ^ Stedman, Alex; Yin-Poole, Wesley (November 3, 2023). "Dune: The Sisterhood Renamed Dune: Prophecy". IGN. Archived from the original on November 3, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (November 9, 2022). "Travis Fimmel To Star In Dune: The Sisterhood HBO Max Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
- ^ "Dune: The Sisterhood". productionlist.com. May 7, 2020. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
- ^ McPherson, Christopher (November 22, 2022). "Dune Prequel Series The Sisterhood Begins Filming". Collider. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
- ^ Wiseman, Andreas (October 14, 2022). "Dune: The Sisterhood: Start Date & Location Confirmed for HBO Max & Legendary Prequel Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
- ^ Grobar, Matt (July 14, 2023). "Dune: The Sisterhood Soon to Resume Production in Hungary Following Winter Hiatus, Will Continue Throughout Strikes". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 14, 2023.
- ^ McPherson, Chris (January 15, 2024). "'Dune: Prophecy' Didn't Use the Volume". Collider. Archived from the original on February 5, 2024. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
- ^ "Jónsi". Representing Composers & Music Supervisors. Retrieved December 4, 2022.
- ^ "Volker Bertelmann to Score Max's Dune: The Sisterhood". Film Music Reporter. October 16, 2023. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
External links
- American prequel television series
- American science fiction television series
- American English-language television shows
- Max (streaming service) original programming
- Television series by Legendary Television
- Television series by Warner Bros. Television Studios
- Television shows based on Dune (franchise)
- Television shows directed by Johan Renck
- Television shows filmed in Budapest
- Television shows filmed in Jordan
- Television shows set in deserts
- Upcoming television series
- Upcoming prequel television series
- Works by Brian Herbert
- Works by Denis Villeneuve
- Works by Kevin J. Anderson