Dune: Prophecy Will Focus on a Woman’s Rise to Power, Says Showrunner

The upcoming Dune: Prophecy won’t be a coming-of-age story, but instead will focus on the rise to power of one of the most powerful houses and groups in the Dune universe.

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Dune: Prophecy showrunner Alison Schapker spoke briefly about the upcoming HBO series, which acts as a prequel to the 2021 film from Denis Villeneuve. According to Schapker, the series will allow viewers to see how the Harkonnens come to power, with Valkya Harkonnen (played by Emily Watson) rising to power.

“We get to see how it all started,” Schapker said. “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.”

What do we know about Dune: Prophecy?

“From the expansive universe of Dune, created by acclaimed author Frank Herbert, and 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,” the official logline reads. “Dune: Prophecy is inspired by the novel ‘Sisterhood of Dune,’ written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson.”

Along with Strong, Dune: Prophecy stars Emily Watson, Olivia Williams, Travis Fimmel, Jodhi May, Sarah-Sofie Boussnina, Josh Heuston, Chloe Lea, Jade Anouka, Faoileann Cunningham, Edward Davis, Aoife Hinds, Chris Mason, Shalom Brune-Franklin, Jihae, Tabu, Charithra Chandran, Jessica Barden, Emma Canning, and Yerin Ha.

Alison Schapker serves as the showrunner for Dune: Prophecy. Schapker also executive producers the series alongside Diane Ademu-John, Anna Foerster, Jordan Goldberg, Mark Tobey, John Cameron, Matthew King, Scott Z. Burns, Jon Spaihts, Brian Herbert, Byron Merritt, and Kim Herbert. Kevin J. Anderson serves as a co-producer.

Production for Dune: Prophecy began in November 2022 under the working title Dune: The Sisterhood. Filming wrapped in December 2023.

(Source: Entertainment Weekly)