Learn about the origins of one of the most influential groups in Frank Herbert’s sci-fi world inDune: Prophecy. Developed by Diane Ademu-John andAltered Carbon’s Alison Schapker, the show acts as a prequel to Denis Villeneuve’s movies, chronicling thefounding of the Bene Gesseritby Harkonnen sisters Valya and Tula. Along the way, though, they will deal with the adversity of rising instability in the Imperium, including a hostile threat targeting the Sisterhood for annihilation.
AmidDune: Prophecy’s cast of charactersis Lila, a new student at the Sisterhood School who forms a close relationship with Tula while also striving to learn more about her own ancestry with the Sisterhood’s abilities. There is also Princess Ynez, the heir to the Golden Lion Throne, who is trying to find a balance between her royal lineage and her respect for the Sisterhood, including using them to advance her future reign. Close to Ynez is Constantine Corrino, the illegitimate son of the galaxy’s Emperor Javicco, who finds himself torn between protecting her and being happy, or gaining his father’s approval.
Dune: Prophecy Title Explained - What The Show Is Actually About
Dune: Prophecy’s title doesn’t reveal much about what the Dune prequel show will be about, when it takes place, or what prophecy it references.
TheensembleDune: Prophecycastincludes Sarah-Sofie Boussnina as Ynez, Josh Heuston as Constantine, Chloe Lea as Lila and Jessica Barden as a young Valya, as well as Emily Watson as an older Valya, Olivia Williams as Tula, Travis Fimmel, Mark Strong as Corrino, Jodhi May, Shalom Brune-Franklin, Faoileann Cunningham, Aoife Hinds, Jade Anouka and Chris Mason. Building out the universe in both an original direction that also pulls from Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson’sGreat Schools of Dunebook trilogy, the show promises to be just as surreal, intense and gripping as Villeneuve’s films.
As part of the show’s New York Comic Con panel,Screen Rantinterviewed stars Jessica Barden, Josh Heuston, Sarah-Sofie Boussnina and Chloe Lea to discussDune: Prophecy, their characters' arcs through the prequel show, how Barden went about sharing the character of Valya with Watson, and how the early days of the Bene Gesserit’s impact on the universe will be explored.
Barden Looked At Her Job As “To Not Mess Up Whatever Emily Watson Decides”
Screen Rant:Dune: Prophecyis absolutely incredible. I’ve only seen the first two episodes, I cannot wait for fans to watch this show. Jessica, first question is for you, your time as young Valya sets the stage for what we see later in Emily Watson. Did you get to speak to her about Val, or otherwise decide on what remains true about her character and your respective different performances during the different eras that we see?
Jessica Barden: So, obviously, I’m not going to tell Emily Watson what to do. [Laughs] I think that the initial conversation was just like, “What are you going to do? So what do you think about it?” I spoke to her, we had a completely regular conversation just saying “Hi,” and she’s the nicest person ever. I think that we just found that we had a lot of things naturally in common, how we would come to a job, anyway. And then, it was just a case of I didn’t see her for four months, so we would just keep an open conversation. But I guess my job, really, was to not mess up whatever Emily Watson decides to do, or just try and live up to whatever she created.
Time has always been approached uniquely intheDuneseries. How much more do we get to explore the early days of Valya and the Harkonnens throughout the series beyond the first episode?
Jessica Barden: Oh, you get to see so much. I am so excited for the audience to get context and background on these people. It’s so different than what any of the audience have seen before, and it’s really unique within the show, as well. I was outside, I got to go outside into the real world. Oh, hun, we go into so many different things. I can’t even begin to tell you. You have no idea. Probably by episode 2, you will begin to understand it, but no, you actually have no idea what you’re about to see.
Ynez & Constantine Are Each Other’s “Rocks” After Their Traumatic Pasts
“They realized that the life that they live holds value to other people…”
Sarah-Sofie, Josh, going to ask you guys, can you talk about Princess Ynez and Constantine’s sibling dynamic in the series?
Josh Heuston: Yeah, so I guess our sibling dynamic is they’re like each other’s best friends. They’re rocks, I guess, in the palace. We’ve obviously had the same upbringing, but they’ve gone through a few traumatic events together, and yeah, they’re just super close.
Sarah-Sofie Boussnina: Yeah, I think the kind of life that they live comes with so many things. There’s the privilege, the wealth, the royal family life living a very secluded life. But then there’s also a darker life to that. They went through a traumatic experience as very young kids. They realized that the life that they live holds value to other people, to strangers, and that it can be dangerous to be them, and that some people want something out of them, because of their position in life.
And also, that makes it hard to trust people. So, there’s a circle of people who really knows them, and who they really trust is very, very small. And I think for them, going through what they’ve went through has made their bond really strong. But also, to have someone who just knows, because they’re living the exact same life, I think is very helpful to them.
Josh Heuston: I don’t think they have anyone else in their lives that could empathize with. I guess [there’s] the pressures of that, and then everything that comes with being the heir of the throne, or being in the royal family.
Well, now that Ynez is heir to the throne, while Constantine is the illegitimate son, how do they see each other?
Sarah-Sofie Boussnina: I don’t think that plays a part in how they see each other at all.
Josh Heuston: Yeah, I think Constantine has unconditional love for Ynez. So he’s happy. I guess he would like to be able to have higher prospects in the royal house, but for him, he’s just happy to see Ynez succeed, and keeping her safe is his main priority.
Jessica Barden: You guys are so cute. You guys are talking really cute with each other. [Chuckles] You’re just like, “We just really protect and care about each other.” It’s like The Brady Bunch.
Tula Is “One Of The Only People In The Sisterhood” Lila Can Trust
Now, Chloe, Reverend Mother Tula Harkonnen sees Lila almost as a daughter, but we find out Lila’s biological family, who they are. What can you tell me about their relationship and where we see it going in Prophecy?
Chloe Lea: Ooh, okay, I’ve not been asked this question yet, I like it. So, I think Lila’s always had the question of where she comes from, and her biology, because she’s seen other Sisters come into the Sisterhood who’ve had a life previously, and they’ve known their family, and that’s a big important thing for her. So, I think she’s depended on Tula to be the mother figure that she never had.
And I think that Tula is one of the only people in the Sisterhood that she feels like she can trust and depend on, and that she feels like values her as a sister. So, I think their relationship eventually gets a bit tested when Lila has to decide whether she does ultimately trust that Tula cares about her, or if Tula just cares about the system.
We know the Bene Gesserit can communicate with their ancestors at any given time, and other characters are very cognizant of the future. How does that omnipresence of the past, present, and future affect your performance and understanding of Lila?
Chloe Lea: I think, for Lila, it’s something that she seeks. It’s something that is, for her, a promising part of the Sisterhood. I think she knows that when she eventually will be able to go through being able to access her ancestors' memory, she knows that it’ll be fulfilling for her, because it’s what she’s always wanted. I think it gives her a purpose of, “Actually this is what I’m meant to do, this is why I’m here”. Yeah, it’d be the thing that would fulfill her."
Ynez “Admires” The Sisterhood, While Constantine Is “A Little Bit Of A Schemer”
The Duo Is Going Down Very Different Paths In The Imperium
Now, Sarah-Sofie, Ynez loves both the Throne and the Sisterhood. Can you talk about her balance or balancing her passion for power in various forms?
Sarah-Sofie Boussnina: Yeah. I think she admires and looks up to the Sisterhood, and they have something that she can use in being a future ruler. She wants to learn all of these abilities, because she wants to do things differently. So, I think she wants both.
Josh, Constantine, on the other hand, seems very eager to participate in service when it comes to sleuthing for his family. What does he think his place in the fledgling Imperium is?
Josh Heuston: Yeah, I think Constantine, he’s a little bit of a schemer. He always watches everything, so he’s always aware of what happens, I guess, in the higher ranks and the lower ranks of the Imperium. But I think for him, he’s trying to prove himself most of the time to his father. He’s got a rep for being a bit of a partier and a playboy. So, he is trying to, I guess, get out of that and earn something of his own honor and respect. He kind of falls back and forth between those two. But yeah, for him, I think he’s trying to just move up the ranks.
AboutDune: Prophecy
From the expansive universe of Dune, created by acclaimed author Frank Herbert, and 10,000 years before the ascension of Paul Atreides, DUNE: PROPHECY follows two Harkonnen sisters as they combat forces that threaten the future of humankind, and establish the fabled sect that will become known as the Bene Gesserit. DUNE: PROPHECY is inspired by the novel SISTERHOOD OF DUNE, written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson.
Stay tuned for our otherDune: Prophecyinterview from NYCC with showrunner Alison Schapker, writer/executive producer Jordan Goldberg and stars Emily Watson, Olivia Williams and Travis Fimmel!
Dune: Prophecy
Cast
Set in the universe of Frank Herbert’s Dune series, Dune: Prophecy, a sci-fi epic, follows the political and spiritual struggles on the desert planet of Arrakis. As factions vie for control of the prized spice melange, a prophesied hero emerges, challenging the balance of power and the fate of the galaxy.
