Dune: Prophecy will mark a brand new chapter in the Dune franchise, with the upcoming series set to take place several thousand years before the time of Paul Atreides. It will serve as a spin-off/prequel to the Denis Villeneuve-directed movies and follow the rise of the Bene Gesserit.
A new trailer for the series was recently released online, ahead of its expected premiere later this year. While the trailer received mostly positive reactions on social media some fans were concerned about one particular aspect of the series that will be vastly different from the movies. Here is why fans are cautiously optimistic about the prospects of Dune: Prophecy.
Dune: Prophecy Drops New Trailer to Mixed Reception From Fans
Dune: Prophecy is an upcoming sci-fi series set in the same universe as the films directed by Denis Villeneuve. Given the critical and commercial success of the movies, there is plenty of hype surrounding the spin-off series.
A second trailer for the series was recently released online. While the fan reaction to the trailer was mostly positive, there was concern regarding the lack of action compared to the films. Since the series is expected to explore the rise of the Bene Gesserit, it will likely be more dialog-heavy.
Some fans have therefore lowered their expectations regarding the series. Here is what fans had to say about the new trailer for Dune: Prophecy on X (formerly Twitter).
As the tweets indicate, fans are cautiously optimistic regarding the series, primarily because of the nature of the plot, which will make it different from the movies.
While most fans liked the visual aesthetics seen in the trailer, the lack of action and political intrigue was a major sticking point. Hence, it will be interesting to see if the series lives up to the hype of telling a compelling origin story for Bene Gesserit.
Dune: Prophecy Underwent a Massive Creative Overhaul
Dune: Prophecy was originally titled Dune: The Sisterhood, and received a series order in June 2019. However, since its inception, the series has undergone several creative changes before the final iteration, which is set to be released later this year.
Initially, Villeneuve was expected to direct the pilot episode but later had to back out. Jon Spaihts, who co-wrote the screenplay for the Timothée Chalamet-led films, was expected to serve as the showrunner alongside Dana Calvo but was later replaced.
Johan Renck was hired to direct the first two episodes with Diane Ademu-John serving as the showrunner. However, the final iteration was eventually helmed by Anna Foerster, who directed multiple episodes with Alison Schapker serving as the showrunner.
In November 2023, the series was retitled and Renck confirmed that the plot had been reworked to be more in line with the films. The series will feature an ensemble cast including Emily Watson and Olivia Williams as sisters Valya and Tula Harkonnen, who set the foundation for the fabled sect, the Bene Gesserit.
Dune: Prophecy is set to release in November 2024 on HBO and Max.
