By Celia Sierra
Madrid, Nov 16 (EFE).- «Dune: Prophecy,» the upcoming American science fiction television series created by Diane Ademu-John and Alison Schapker, featuring two women over 50 as protagonists, marks a positive shift in television and science fiction, a space where women must «claim their place,» according to lead actresses Olivia Williams and Emily Watson.
The series, which premieres on Sunday on Max in Latin America and the United States, traces the origins of the Bene Gesserit, a sisterhood of women with mysterious powers who work from the shadows to influence the Empire and all spheres of power in the Dune universe.
Characters such as Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) and Lady Margot (Léa Seydoux) from Dune Part Two (2024) belonged to this order.
«Dune: Prophecy» traces the origins of this female sect, set 10,000 years before the rise of Paul Atreides, the character played by Timothée Chalamet in Denis Villeneuve’s two Dune films, which he stars in alongside Zendaya.
Alongside Watson (Valya Harkonnen) and Williams (Tula Harkonnen), the cast includes Mark Strong (Emperor Javicco), Travis Fimmel (Desmond Hart), and Indian actress Tabu (Sister Francesca), in a female-dominated ensemble for a major audiovisual project following the success of Villeneuve’s films.
For Watson, something has changed in long-form television (though not so much in Hollywood), allowing two women in their 50s to star in a science fiction series. «Here we are leading a TV show, so something has changed, which is great (…) There’s space not for just one, but two leading ladies in their 50s in a sci-fi piece,» she said in an intimate press gathering, including EFE.
Williams and Watson play Tula and Valya Harkonnen, two sisters who lead the sisterhood with an iron fist, driven by a thirst for revenge tied to their family history. For Watson, it was sometimes difficult to take on such dark roles: «It’s not my natural resting place as an actor. And that was quite a challenge.»
Schapker said that the goal wasn’t necessarily to focus on female protagonists but to center the Bene Gesserit order and write about its origins, which are linked to House Harkonnen.
«Dune: Prophecy» (which consists of six episodes) has an epic tone and large-scale production values, featuring grand sets and monumental recreations. Filming took place between 2022 and 2023 in Budapest and Jordan.
The project’s aim is for any viewer, whether a fan of the Dune universe or not, to be able to approach it without prior knowledge. The saga, one of the best-selling of all time, depicts an apocalyptic world where humans nearly became extinct at the hands of the artificial intelligence they created.
«I definitely think Dune prophecy and Dune in general, raises a lot of questions about the role of technology and the dangers of technology at the same time as it asks us to think about what makes us human. And I think both of the sides of that question are important,» added the series creator, reflecting on the continued relevance of Herbert’s saga, which was published between 1963 and 1965. EFE
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