‘Dune: Prophecy’: Here’s Why You Should Watch New Sci-Fi Series About Bene Gesserit Order

‘Dune: Prophecy’ is a new HBO series based on Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson’s novel ‘Sisterhood of Dune’. Premiered on HBO Max on 17 November, the series dived into Bene Gesserit’s history. This is one of the hottest releases this autumn. Here’s what you need to know about the ‘Dune’ movie’s prequel.

What ‘Dune: Prophecy’ is about?

The sci-fi series will dive deeper into the past, exploring events set 10,000 years before the ascension of Paul Atreides (portrayed by Timothée Chalamet). According to the synopsis, the story will evolve around two Harkonnen sisters, Valya Harkonnen (Emily Watson) and Tula Harkonnen (Olivia Williams). The threats and forces they need to resist will bring them to the establishment of the fabled sect that will become known as the Bene Gesserit.

In an interesting move, the show creators decided to focus on the main antagonist family of the Dune movie. However, in this distant past, they are not yet spice monopolists and, therefore, do not have so much power.

“The women that were playing aren’t forward-thinking feminist icons,” Emily Watson told Variety recently. “They’re messed up. They’re the products of this abusive system, and they’ve learned, like an Elizabeth or a Mary, that their power comes from having a veil of unknowability. Despite the science-fiction elements, there’s a texture of ancientness to the whole story.”

‘Dune: Prophecy’ cast

The six-episode series features amazing actors. Apart from already mentioned Emily Watson and Olivia Williams, you will see Travis Fimmel (best known for his role as Ragnar Lothbrok in the History Channel television series Vikings), Mark Strong (Stardust), and Charithra Surya Chandran (Bridgerton).

Is it worth watching?

It looks like ‘Dune: Prophecy’ will be a really good new series. This is not only because of the HBO production, which has lots of gems in its collection, an amazing cast, and a trendy story but also because of the plot itself. The first episode already gives a vibe of the intensity and level of intrigue of Game of Thrones.

 ‘Dune: Prophecy’ has scored 74%, based on 48 reviews on RottenTomatoes.

If Paul Atreides’s story of how a young boy becomes a man was too sweet for you, this time, you’ll get a more mature story. The two main characters are mature women whose destiny is to rescue their family and title.

“We get to see how it all started,” showrunner Alison Schapker tells Entertainment Weekly during a brief break from post-production in her first interview about ‘Dune: Prophecy’. “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 obsessed with rebuilding her noble house to being 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 time does Dune: Prophecy come out?

Similar to many beloved HBO series, ‘Dune: Prophecy’ has claimed the prime Sunday night slot. Fans can catch new episodes every Sunday at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT on HBO or stream them on Max.

Here’s the full schedule:

Episode 1: “The Hidden Hand” — Airing November 17, 2024
Episode 2: “Two Wolves” — Airing November 24, 2024
Episode 3: “Sisterhood Above All” — Airing December 1, 2024
Episode 4: “TBA” — Airing December 8, 2024
Episode 5: “TBA” — Airing December 15, 2024
Episode 6: “TBA” — Airing December 22, 2024