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The release of Dune: Prophecy on HBO and Max has led many to wonder about the origins of the show's plot. The drama television series, developed by Diane Ademu-John and Alison Schapker, is partly based on the Dune franchise books by Frank Herbert and partly on the Great Schools of Dune trilogy of novels written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson.
Specifically, the show draws from the Sisterhood of Dune novel, which was the first in the trilogy released in 2012. The events of this novel are set 83 years after the human military attained victory over the thinking machine armies of Omnius. It also explores the formative years of the Sisterhood and their rise to socio-political power in the Dune universe.
Exploring the sources of Dune: Prophecy's subject matter
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The events of Dune: Prophecy take place somewhere between the original Dune novels by Frank Herbert and the prequel trilogy, Great Schools of Dune, by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, which is set in Frank Herbert's Dune universe.
To be specific, Dune: Prophecy incorporates elements from the first half of the Dune franchise novels and the latter half of the Great Schools of Dune novels. The show's events are set approximately 10,000 years before the events of the Dune franchise films and a few years after the events of the Great Schools of Dune trilogy.
That said, there are various other elements and specific characters in Dune: Prophecy that are not taken from either of the aforementioned novels. For instance, the character of Desmond Hart, portrayed by Travis Fimmel, is a creation of the show and does not appear in any of the novels.
Additionally, other characters, including Ynez Corrino (portrayed by Sarah-Sofie Boussnina) and Constantine Corrino (portrayed by Josh Heuston), are also created for the show and are not included in any of the novels that inspired it.
In an interview with Business Insider, published on November 18, 2024, executive producer Jordan Goldberg clarified that Dune: Prophecy was "sort of" based on the novel, but not entirely. He mentioned that while he and his teammates tried to stay true to the Dune novels in some ways, they also tried to "infuse some new angles" into the show's story. He stated:
"There are bits and pieces of various different characters and plot ideas that we've taken [from the book] and fused in our 30 years later story with the Emily Watson version of Valya Harkonnen. That story is sort of our invention."
About the show
The official synopsis for the show reads:
"Set 10,000 years before the birth of Paul Atreides, Dune: Prophecy explores the origins of the Sisterhood, the fabled sect that will become known as the Bene Gesserit."
The series stars Emily Watson, Olivia Williams, Travis Fimmel, Jodhi May, Sarah-Sofie Boussnina, Chris Mason, Shalom Brune-Franklin, Chloe Lea, Mark Strong, Edward Davis, Josh Heuston, Jade Anouka, Faoileann Cunningham, Aoife Hinds, and Mark Addy in prominent roles. It also features several recurring and guest stars who contribute to the narrative.
The next episode of Dune: Prophecy airs on HBO and will be released on Max on December 1, 2024.
