Set 10,000 years before the events depicted in Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part One and Two, Dune: Prophecy is a spin-off series centering on the Bene Gesserit. At the beginning of the show, viewers will be introduced to sisters Valya (Emily Watson) and Tula Harkonnen (Olivia Williams). Faced with forces that threaten humanity’s future in the Known Universe, the Harkonnen sisters eventually establish the Bene Gesserit order. Despite happening centuries before the ending of Dune 2, Dune: Prophecy will have huge ramifications for Paul Atreides’ (Timothée Chalamet) ongoing story, which is set to conclude in Dune 3.
As with any prequel series, Dune: Prophecy will not only flesh out Frank Herbert’s beloved universe, but it will set up key Dune plot points and answer burning questions that viewers may have after watching Villeneuve’s two-part sci-fi epic. Moreover, Dune: Prophecy‘s ensemble cast of characters teases the fact that the series will depict more than just the formation of the Bene Gesserit order, but everything from the origins of the Corrino Empire to the ways in which the Bene Gesserit fostered, spread, and acted upon the idea of creating Dune‘s prophesied Kwisatz Haderach.
Previously titled Dune: The Sisterhood, Dune: Prophecy‘s central focus is the Bene Gesserit order. That said, viewers will gain insight into how — and why — the Harkonnen sisters established the renowned sect. In the Dune movies, the Bene Gesserit plays a key role by slyly guiding humanity along a predetermined path. Although Paul’s mother, Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), throws a wrench into that effort, there’s no denying the order’s incredible power. With their many superhuman techniques, the Bene Gesserit order is full of secrets and mired in compelling lore, making it a great focus for the Dune spin-off.
Unlike other sci-fi series, the Dune franchise doesn’t place a huge emphasis on futuristic technology or computers. However, there’s actually a canonical reason for this approach. Roughly 10,000 years before the events of Herbert’s Dune, there was a crusade against computers, thinking machines, and other conscious robots. Known as the Great Revolt, the crusade reshaped the Known Universe. The complete destruction of intelligent machines led to the rise of new empires as well as socio-political sects. Forced to perform complex computations, humans created sects like the Mentant order and, of course, the Bene Gesserit (via Dune Wiki).
That said, Dune: Prophecy is set to unfold in the wake of the destruction of computers and other thinking machines. This allows the series to chronicle not just the rise of the Bene Gesserit, but the formation of the universe’s socio-political organizations and the creation of the Orange Catholic Bible, the most important religious text in the Dune universe. Most importantly, the fallout of the crusade — and its aims — will allow Dune to properly explore why the destruction of computers is so vital to Frank Herbert’s franchise.
The Bene Gesserit prequel was teased by Dune 2, insofar as it will set the order’s most important plans into motion. Although Dune: Part One hints at Paul’s destiny as the prophesied Fremen messiah, Dune: Part Two delves into how the seeds of the prophecy were carefully sewn by the Bene Gesserit over centuries. Not only did the Bene Gesserit plant the idea of the Kwisatz Haderach among Paul’s future followers, but they created a very precise and intentional breeding program, collecting key genetic material needed to form the ultimate superbeing and leader of the Known Universe.
Set very early on in Dune‘s timeline, Dune: Prophecy needs to set up a key faction that the Dune movies cut: the Spacing Guild. After the destruction of thinking machines, the Spacing Guild emerged as one of the universe’s most powerful groups. An interstellar shipping and trade conglomerate, the Spacing Guild was also involved in the Great Convention — a historic treaty that outlawed the use of atomics against fellow humans — and established its own mental-physical training school that rivals that of the Bene Gesserit. Based on Dune Messiah, Dune 3 will hinge on the Spacing Guild’s role, which means Dune: Prophecy must introduce the faction.
In the wake of the destruction of thinking machines, the Corrino Empire (also known as the Imperium) rose to power. Taking its name from the Battle of Corrin, the house established the Golden Lion Throne. According to early descriptions of Dune: Prophecy, a character called Princess Ynez (Sarah-Sofie Boussnina) will deal with the pressures of taking over the Golden Lion Throne. With the Corrino Empire lasting roughly 10,000 years — and only overthrown when Paul usurps Shaddam Corrino IV (Christopher Walken) in Dune 2 — the Imperium’s early days will play a key role in the Max series.
Of all Dune‘s houses and factions, the Atreides and Harkonnens play perhaps the most central roles in Frank Herbert’s original novels. As Dune 2 reveals, the Atreides/Harkonnen family tree is incredibly interlaced, thanks largely to the Bene Gesserit breeding program. In fact, the Kwisatz Haderach was meant to be the child of Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen and an Atreides’ daughter, but Paul’s birth upended this intention. That said, Dune: Prophecy needs to explore the centuries-long rivalry between the two houses. Interestingly, the feud’s origins stems from the Battle of Corrino as well.
Undeniably, the prequel show sets up future Dune storylines, including Paul Atreides’ rise to power. As a male Bene Gesserit who’s imbibed the Water of Life, Paul has absolute prescience. Like a Bene Gesserit Reverend Mother, Paul has access to genetic memory, allowing him to bridge space and time. That said, characters who play key roles in Dune: Prophecy, like the Harkonnen sisters who establish the Bene Gesserit order, could play vital roles in Dune 3, even though it unfolds over 10,000 years later. If the Dune franchise wants to strengthen the connective tissue, it should make the show essential to the final Dune film.