Sci-fi and fantasy epics on television have come a long way in the last several years, but you could be forgiven for finding it hard to believe that Max’s upcoming Dune prequel series could live up to the majesty of Denis Villeneuve’s massive movies. However, the Dune: Prophecy trailer, which came out on Wednesday morning, is here to prove you wrong.
The new series is set 10,000 years before the birth of Paul Atreides, and will follow the early days of the Bene Gesserit sisterhood as it attempts to dig its claws into the social fabric of the galaxy. This means that the series will likely include significantly more of that palace intrigue, back-stabbings, and backroom deals that the recent Dune movies only hint at. And since this show is also on Max, it’s at least a little hard not to think of this as Game of Thrones (or more accurately House of the Dragon) in space, which is a pretty enticing premise.
Despite being a prequel set long before Villeneuve’s movies, the world here looks surprisingly similar. The rooms in the trailer have the same beautiful angularity, with ornate walls and harsh lights that are perfect for the Bene Gesserit to sneak around in. Even more importantly, the trailer makes this all look beautiful in a way that hopefully bodes well for the show as a whole.
Dune: Prophecy will star Emily Watson (Gosford Park), Travis Fimmel (Vikings), Mark Strong (1917), and Olivia Williams (The Sixth Sense, Rushmore). The series is created by Diana Ademu-John (The Haunting of Bly Manor), and will be directed by Anna Foster (Outlander), John Cameron (Legion, Fargo), and Richard J. Lewis (Westworld), with music from Volker Bertelmann (All Quiet on the Western Front). Dune: Prophecy is set for release this fall on Max.
