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Dune: Prophecy is an American science fiction television series developed by Diane Ademu-John and Alison Schapker for HBO. Set in Frank Herbert's Dune universe, the series focuses on the origins of the Bene Gesserit, a powerful social, religious, and political force whose members possess superhuman powers and abilities by undergoing years of intense physical and mental conditioning. Dune: Prophecy is positioned as a prequel series to the 2021 Denis Villeneuve film Dune, which adapts the first half the 1965 novel of the same name by Frank Herbert, and takes place some 10,000 years before the events of the film. The series, which draws on, but is set after, the Great Schools of Dune novel trilogy (2012–2016) by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, is produced by Legendary Television, with Schapker serving as showrunner, writer, and executive producer.
The series stars Emily Watson as Valya Harkonnen, leader of the Sisterhood; Olivia Williams as Tula Harkonnen, Valya's younger sister; Travis Fimmel as Desmond Hart, an Imperial soldier; and Mark Strong as Emperor Javicco Corrino. The rest of the ensemble cast includes Jodhi May as Javicco's consort, Empress Natalya; Sarah-Sofie Boussnina as their daughter and heir, Princess Ynez-Arat; Shalom Brune-Franklin as Mikaela, a Fremen servant; Jade Anouka as Sister Theodosia, an acolyte of the Sisterhood; and Chris Mason as Keiran Atreides, a Swordmaster to a Great House.
Main
[edit]Valya Harkonnen
[edit]Valya Harkonnen, portrayed by Emily Watson, is the Mother Superior of the Sisterhood, a secretive, matriarchal order whose members undergo intense physical training and mental conditioning to obtain superhuman abilities.[1] In the series, she faces threats to the Sisterhood's plans for humanity.[2][3]
Watson's casting in the role was announced in October 2022.[4] In May 2024, Jessica Barden was cast as the younger version of Valya.[5]
Valya is introduced as a young woman in the 2012 novel Sisterhood of Dune by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson.[6] She plots to rise within, and ultimately take control of, the fledgling Bene Gesserit, while galvanizing her siblings to help her visit Harkonnen vengeance on the bloodline of Vorian Atreides, who had brought their family to ruin 80 years before.[6]
Tula Harkonnen
[edit]Tula Harkonnen, portrayed by Olivia Williams, is Valya's younger sister and a Reverend Mother in the Sisterhood.[2]
- In November 2024, showrunner Alison Schapker [2]
While Dune: Prophecy features a wide array of characters, the series, as its official synopsis makes clear, “follows two Harkonnen sisters as they combat forces that threaten the future of humankind.” Joining Watson is Olivia Williams, who plays Valya’s younger sister, Reverend Mother Tula Harkonnen.
“We love the idea that there's a sister relationship at the heart of the Sisterhood, and that that's a very different thing. Valya Harkonnen and Tula Harkonnen share a past and certain trauma, and have a dynamic that's very specific to that family. And there is a bit of an older sibling, younger sibling dynamic,” Schapker said. “There is a bit of that relatable older sibling driving things overtly, and younger sibling feeling maybe a bit diminished or in the shadow of.”
“They both have secrets that they are bound together by their past and things that are really deeply, deeply and profoundly shocking that other people don't necessarily know about them,” Watson said. “But also, Valya has always been the leader, she's always been the eldest who's brought Tula along with her. But Tula is the quiet one and is extremely surprising, let's put it that way.”
Because the series spans decades, two sets of actors portray the Harkonnen sisters, with Jessica Barden cast as young Valya and Emma Canning as young Tula. “That was such a challenge, but also the most exciting thing, to land our young sisters,” Schapker said of the casting process. “It's uncanny how much Jessica Barden looks like Emily Watson, and Emma Canning looks like Olivia Williams.”
Watson spoke with Barden before filming to make sure they had a similar take on the character of Valya. “She's a real firebrand and just her actual nature, Jessica's nature, was very inspiring to me. She's just incredibly forthright. And we spoke really about the anger, the absolutely uncontrolled sort of powerful anger inside (Valya), which she later in life learns to channel into the ways of the Sisterhood. But yeah, it was a really important moment for me talking to her, [learning] her understanding of what this character was like as a young woman.”
Even as Dune: Prophecy chronicles the Harkonnen sisters in their younger days, it also shows Valya and Tula mentoring their acolytes in the present. Valya has a special bond with Sister Theodosia (Jade Anouka) and Tula with Sister Lila (Chloe Lea).
“At the school, the sisters will raise girl children and the policy is that they don't tell their charges who their actual biological families or parents or lineage is as a way to make the Sisterhood their family and make them feel like equals, and that this is the family that matters,” Schapker explained.
“On the one hand, (Lila) does think of the Sisterhood as her family, and it's all she's known. And Tula has very much been a mother figure to her. And on the other hand, she doesn't really have the full story of her origin. And there's a ritual that Lila is going to be asked to participate in that would unlock some of those answers for her, but at great risk. And so the question of who Lila is matters to the series, and how that plays out. Her desire to know those answers will very much affect how the story goes forward.”[2]
Shirley Henderson was originally cast as Tula alongside Watson in October 2022,[4] but left the series during an extended production hiatus in February 2023.[7][8] The role of Tula was recast with Olivia Williams in June 2023.[7] Emma Canning was later cast as the younger version of Tula.[9]
Tula is introduced as a child in Sisterhood of Dune. In its 2014 sequel, Mentats of Dune by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, Valya oversees Tula's training with the Sisterhood. Having discovered direct descendants of Vorian Atreides living on the planet Caladan, Valya sends her younger sister, using the alias Tula Veil, to exact their revenge. Tula marries young Orry Atreides, and murders him on their wedding night.[6] In Navigators of Dune (2016), Tula is overcome with guilt over Orry, whom she had grown to love. She is hunted and nearly killed by Willem Atreides, Orry's brother, and Vorian himself. Valya captures Tula and tries to free her of any guilt or sympathy toward the Atreides, hoping she will next execute Willem and end the bloodline. Willem battles Tula, but stops short of killing her when she reveals she is carrying Orry's child.
Desmond Hart
[edit]Desmond Hart, portrayed by Travis Fimmel, is a mysterious, charismatic soldier in the Imperial army who seeks the trust of the Emperor, and emerges as an enemy to the Sisterhood.[10]
Fimmel was cast as Desmond in November 2022.[10][11]
Javicco Corrino
[edit]Javicco Corrino, portrayed by Mark Strong, is the Emperor of the Known Universe. He is described as "a man from a great line of war-time Emperors, who is called upon to govern the Imperium and manage a fragile peace."[12]
Strong was cast as Javicco in December 2022.[12]
Young Javicco is introduced as a child in Mentats of Dune, and is a supporting character in Navigators of Dune. He is the young son and heir of Roderick Corrino, who becomes emperor when his brother, Emperor Salvador Corrino, is assassinated.
Empress Natalya
[edit]- Jodhi May as Empress Natalya,[7] "a formidable royal who united thousands of worlds in her marriage to Emperor Corrino."[13]
Indira Varma was originally cast as Natalya in October 2022.[13] In June 2023, May was cast to replace Varma, who exited the series due to scheduling conflicts after an extended production hiatus.[7]
Princess Ynez-Arat
[edit]- Sarah-Sofie Boussnina as Princess Ynez, "an independent young princess dealing with the pressures of her responsibility as heir to the Golden Lion Throne."[14]
Mikaela
[edit]- 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."[14]
Theodosia
[edit]- Jade Anouka as Sister Theodosia, "a talented and ambitious acolyte at the Sisterhood who harbors a dangerous secret about her past."[12]
Sister Theodosia’s origins are similarly murky. “You don't necessarily understand what the situation is yet, but Theodosia's circumstances are very unique, and she has come as an outcast from a very difficult, desperate past to the Sisterhood in a little bit in the same way that Valya did,” Watson said. “Valya kind of has recognized her as having the same kind of drive and almost it's as if really damaged people are very, very good candidates for this kind of devotion or drive that it needs to be a really, really good Bene Gesserit.”[2]
- Anouka was cast as Theodosia in December 2022.[12]
Keiran Atreides
[edit]- 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."[12]
- Mason was cast as Keiran in December 2022.[12]
Jen
[edit]- Faoileann Cunningham as Sister Jen, "a fierce, unpredictable acolyte in training at the Sisterhood School who rarely reveals her emotional core."[14]
Emeline
[edit]- 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."[14]
Lila
[edit]- Chloe Lea as Lila, "the youngest acolyte at the Sisterhood School with a deep empathy beyond her years."[14]
Even as Dune: Prophecy chronicles the Harkonnen sisters in their younger days, it also shows Valya and Tula mentoring their acolytes in the present. Valya has a special bond with Sister Theodosia (Jade Anouka) and Tula with Sister Lila (Chloe Lea).
“At the school, the sisters will raise girl children and the policy is that they don't tell their charges who their actual biological families or parents or lineage is as a way to make the Sisterhood their family and make them feel like equals, and that this is the family that matters,” Schapker explained.
“On the one hand, (Lila) does think of the Sisterhood as her family, and it's all she's known. And Tula has very much been a mother figure to her. And on the other hand, she doesn't really have the full story of her origin. And there's a ritual that Lila is going to be asked to participate in that would unlock some of those answers for her, but at great risk. And so the question of who Lila is matters to the series, and how that plays out. Her desire to know those answers will very much affect how the story goes forward.”[2]
Recurring
[edit]- Josh Heuston as Constantine Corrino, the illegitimate son of Javicco who is "torn between seeking his father's approval and his own happiness."[15]
- 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."[15]
- Tabu as Sister Francesca, a powerful Bene Gesserit and the Emperor's former lover, whose return to the palace "strains the balance of power in the capital."[16]
- Charithra Chandran as Young Francesca, whose early life and romance with the Emperor are seen in flashbacks.[17]
- Jihae as Reverend Mother Kasha Jinjo, the Emperor's Truthsayer, whose loyalty to the Sisterhood is challenged.[18]
Guest
[edit]- Cathy Tyson as Mother Superior Raquella Berto-Anirul[9]
- Camilla Beeput as Reverend Mother Dorotea[9]
- Charlie Hodson-Prior as Pruwet Richese[9]
References
[edit]- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony; Piccoli, Sean (October 17, 2024). "Dune: Prophecy Gets Max Premiere Date, Unveils Official Trailer at NYCC". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 17, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f Vejvoda, Jim (November 8, 2024). "Dune: Prophecy Explained: A Revenge Saga Set 10,000 Years Before Paul Atreides". IGN. Retrieved November 9, 2024.
- ^ Hibberd, James (May 15, 2024). "Dune: Prophecy Teaser Trailer Released by Max". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on May 17, 2024. Retrieved May 21, 2024.
- ^ a b Otterson, Joe (October 4, 2022). "Dune Prequel Series at HBO Max Casts Emily Watson, Shirley Henderson". Variety. Archived from the original on October 17, 2022. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
- ^ Otterson, Joe (May 15, 2024). "Dune: Prophecy Casts End of the F—ing World Star Jessica Barden". Variety. Archived from the original on October 1, 2024. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
- ^ a b c Bardini, Julio (May 19, 2024). "Who Is Valya Harkonnen in Dune: Prophecy?". Collider. Archived from the original on May 25, 2024. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
- ^ 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. Archived from the original on July 14, 2023. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
- ^ 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. Archived from the original on May 7, 2023. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e O'Keefe, Meghan (November 11, 2024). "Dune: Prophecy Review: HBO's Lavish New Sci-Fi Drama Gives Dune Back to the Herbert Heads". Decider. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
- ^ a b Otterson, Joe (November 8, 2022). "Dune Prequel Series at HBO Max Casts Travis Fimmel". Variety. Archived from the original on November 9, 2022. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (November 9, 2022). "Travis Fimmel To Star In Dune: The Sisterhood HBO Max Series". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 9, 2022. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f Otterson, Joe (December 1, 2022). "Dune Prequel Series at HBO Max Adds Mark Strong, Jade Anouka, Chris Mason". Variety. Archived from the original on July 5, 2023. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
- ^ 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. Archived from the original on April 10, 2023. Retrieved October 13, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e Cite error: The named reference
boussninawas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
heustonwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
tabuwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Pandya, Sonal (October 2, 2024). "Dune Prophecy First Look Pic: Charithra Chandran Plays Young Tabu in Sci-Fi Prequel Series". Times Now. Retrieved October 3, 2024.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
jihaewas invoked but never defined (see the help page).
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