Anna Foerster, Olivia Williams, and Emily Watson now star in the upcoming series, set in the 'Dune' universe, which centers on the lives of the fabled religious sect trained to resist the Voice.
Big changes are afoot for the Bene Geserit. Dune prequel series Dune: The Sisterhood is facing a major creative shakeup following the loss of key cast and crew. Creator, writer, and executive producer of the series Diane Ademu-John (The Haunting of Bly Manor, Empire) scratched ‘showrunner’ off her list last November, while Johan Rench stepped down as director in February.
The production also lost Shirley Henderson (Tula Harkonnen) and Indira Varma (Natalya) due to scheduling conflicts following a hiatus announcement. Taking over Renck’s directing duties is Anna Foerster (Lou), while Olivia Williams (The Crown) will now play Tula and Jodhi May (The Witcher) will play Natalya.
A joint production between HBO Max and Legendary Television, Dune: The Sisterhood takes place 10,000 years before the events of Dune. The story centers on the Harkonnen sisters, who seek to protect humankind and ultimately establish the fabled sect known as the Bene Gesserit, a social, religious, and political force of women trained to resist the Voice.
The Dune prequel series is being adapted from the novel “Sisterhood of Dune,” by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, the first of the “Great Schools of Dune” trilogy.
Alison Schapker serves as showrunner and executive producer alongside Ademu-John, Renck, Denis Villeneuve, Jon Spaihts, Scott Z. Burns, Mark Friedman and Matthew King, Brian Herbert, Byron Merritt, and Kim Herbert (on behalf of the Frank Herbert estate). Kevin J. Anderson will co-produce. No word yet on who will handle the VFX.
A release date for Dune: The Sisterhood has not been announced. Dune: Part Two is expected to hit theaters November 3, 2023.
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