For many years, Frank Herbert's science fiction novel was considered to be a story so epic that it was practically impossible to adapt. After all, how could one capture the strange, imaginative, and incredibly expansive world of Dune in a visual format? Nevertheless, many creatives, including the legendary David Lynch, have tried, and now, nearly 60 years after the original novel was published, we have not one but two critically acclaimed movies based on the novel—Dune: Part One and Dune: Part Two, both directed by Canadian visionary Denis Villeneuve. These films have been so well-received that a third installment—Dune: Messiah—is set to hit big screens in 2026.
But the story doesn’t end there. While you wait for Messiah, go deeper on the world of Dune with the upcoming HBO streaming series Dune: Prophecy, arriving in November 2024. Set 10,000 years before the events of the Dune movies, Dune: Prophecy is the origin story of the Bene Gesserit, a powerful religious sisterhood who have trained their bodies and minds to harness seemingly magical powers. TV veteran Alison Schapker (Alias, Fringe, Lost, Altered Carbon) is the project’s showrunner, writer, and executive producer.
What is Dune: Prophecy About?
Dune: Prophecy is based on the prequel novel , written by Brian Herbert (the son of Dune’s originator, Frank Herbert) and Kevin J. Anderson. The series will follow two sisters, Valya and Tula Harkonnen, who also happen to be the Bene Gesserit’s founding mothers. While a lot of specifics about the series remain unknown, we do know that the novel takes place shortly after the Butlerian Jihad, also known as the Great Revolt. This was a major revolt against computers and "thinking machines" under the prevailing concept that "Man may not be replaced." Following two generations of violent revolution, all technology was completely banned. In the aftermath of this violence and time of unrest, the Harkonnen family seeks to regain its power.
It is unclear how closely Dune: Prophecy will follow the plot of Sisterhood of Dune, but if you're looking to learn more about the Harkonnens and the Bene Gesserit before the release of the new series, this listen is a great place to start—especially as many of the characters who have been announced in the series thus far do seem to align with the characters seen in Also, considering the original name for this series was it's safe to imagine there will be quite a few parallels.
