Caught in Sandstorm: Dune Prequel Might Be in Serious Trouble
The HBO Max series' crew seems to face an exodus.
Dune: The Sisterhood, an upcoming HBO Max series set in the Dune universe, was first announced on June 10, 2019, produced by Legendary Television, and would serve as a prequel to the 2021 film Dune, directed by Denis Villeneuve.
The events of the show will take place 10,000 years before the birth of Paul Atreides and the events of the first film, following two sisters from the House of Harkonnen as they establish the Order of the Bene Gesserit.
This religious sect, operating behind an almost impenetrable screen of ritual mysticism and composed of all-female spies, nuns, scientists, and theologians, plays a crucial role in the universe of Dune.
Pulling the strings from the shadows, they pursue an agenda of human ascension with the advent of their chosen one, the Kwisatz Haderach.
Unfortunately, it has reportedly been put on hold due to major problems with its cast and crew.
The first problems surfaced in 2019 when Diane Ademu-John, a French-Canadian filmmaker who wrote the pilot script, left the project a few months after the show was first ordered.
Though she remains attached as an executive producer, two other co-showrunners, Jon Spaihts and Dana Calvo, also left the project at different points.
Now, according to IndieWire, Johan Renck, the director who helmed the first two episodes, and Shirley Henderson, the actress who was set to play Tula Harkonnen, one of the main characters, have both left the series after production began in November 2022, putting it on hold until replacements are found.
With such major changes, fans are generally concerned about how it will affect the final quality of the show. Being in production hell for too long has ruined a lot of different projects.
If replacements are not found soon enough, it could bury the series for good.
However, there is some good news. The show's problems are not affecting the production of Denis Villeneuve's second part of the adaptation of Frank Herbert's first book. Dune: Part Two is scheduled for release on November 3, 2023.