Indira Varma, Shirley Henderson, and Emily Watson will 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.
The sisterhood begins to take shape! Indira Varma (Game of Thrones, Obi-Wan) will join Dune: The Sisterhood as Empress Natalya, “a formidable royal who united thousands of worlds in her marriage to Emperor Corrino,” according to Deadline. Previous cast announcements include Emily Watson and Shirley Henderson, portraying Valya Harkonnen and Tula Harkonnen, respectively.
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 “combat forces that threaten the future of humankind, and establish the fabled sect known as the Bene Gesserit,” a social, religious, and political force of women trained to resist the Voice.
The series is being adapted from on the novel Sisterhood of Dune, by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, the first of the “Great Schools of Dune” trilogy.
Diane Ademu-John (The Haunting of Bly Manor, Empire) will serve as writer, showrunner, and executive producer of the prequel series, alongside Johan 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 prequel series’ VFX.
While a release date for Dune: The Sisterhood is still TBD, shoots begin next month in Budapest. Dune: Part Two will also film on location in Budapest, as well as Abu Dhabi, Jordan, and Italy, and is scheduled for a worldwide theatrical release on November 3, 2023.
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