2024 has already been a massive year for the Dune faithful. In the early months, we got Denis Villeneuve’s much-anticipated Dune: Part Two, a thunderous adaptation of the second half of Frank Herbert’s novel. Then came the news that Villeneueve is, indeed, hard at work on a Part Three, set to adapt sequel novel Dune: Messiah. And that’s not all – before the year is through, we’ll also see Dune: Prophecy, the six-part streaming series unspooling the origins of the Bene Gesserit order, delving deeper into the lore underlying Herbert’s sprawling universe.
The series – which has long been in development in various forms – no longer has direct involvement from Villeneuve and his Dune writer Jon Spaihts. But as executive producer Jordan Goldberg confirms to Empire, it absolutely is “in the same universe” as Villeneuve’s films. “We feel like we have to follow the essence of what Denis has done. He set the tone.” And like Villeneuve’s films, expect a whole mix of genres in play. “Along with the political intrigue, there’s a great deal of espionage,” Goldberg teases. “A great deal of action and adventure. There’s a romance. And what’s really exciting to me is we also get to do a lot of horror stuff.”
While Prophecy takes place many thousands of years before the Dune films (“We like to say this show is set 10,000 years BC. Meaning, ‘Before Chalamet’,” jokes star Emily Watson), expect it to still look and feel connected to the big-screen outings. Even the technology and trappings won’t look wildly different, given the nature of Dune’s lore. “During the Machine Wars, humans fought against computers and artificial intelligence and all the kinds of things we’re rushing headlong to develop today,” explains co-showrunner Alison Schapker. “Dune imagines what it would be like if the worst-case scenario happened and humans had to rebuild after almost coming to the brink of extinction. So technology is stagnated, computers are forbidden. You get a kind of neo-feudal-meets-sci-fi futurism that offers an incredible texture.” Space bagpipes, optional.
Read Empire’s Dune: Prophecy feature in the Mickey 17 issue, on sale Thursday 24 October. Pre-order a copy online here. Dune: Prophecy comes to Sky and NOW from 18 November.