Production has officially commenced on “Dune: The Sisterhood,” the live-action prequel series to Denis Villeneuve’s two-part blockbuster film adaptations of the famed Frank Herbert novel.
Emmy-winning director Johan Renck is helming the first two episodes of the series and revealed the news on Instagram, saying that shooting officially began today.
The series is reportedly set 10,000 years before the events of “Dune” and will focus on the Harkonnen sisters as they battle the forces that threaten humanity.
In the process, it leads to the creation of the Bene Gesserit. The mysterious order consists of powerful women with extraordinary mental and supernatural abilities who deftly maneuver between warring political factions, whilst simultaneously pursuing their own agenda.
Renck’s photo essentially confirms the reports, the shot captioned: “Through machinations taking place millennia before the story you all know, we descend into the coven that one day shall be named the Bene Gesserit”.
The series will star Emily Watson, Shirley Henderson, Indira Varma, Travis Fimmel, Sarah-Sofie Boussnina, Shalom Brune-Franklin, Faoileann Cunningham, Aoife Hinds, and Chloe Lea.
Diane Ademu-John serves as creator, writer, co-showrunner and executive producer, with Alison Schapker as co-showrunner and executive producer. Jon Spaihts, who adapted the films, is returning to write for the series as well.
Denis Villeneuve is currently at work on the second film “Dune: Part Two,” which began shooting in late July and is presently filming in Abu Dhabi. That film will arrive on November 3rd of next year, and it’s likely the series will premiere after the film’s release. This would suggest a potential early 2024 airing.
