Dune: Prophecy Timeline – How Long Before The Movies It's Set

The upcoming HBO/Max series Dune: Prophecy will be a prequel and spin-off of Denis Villeneuve’s celebrated Dune: Part One (2021) and Dune: Part Two (2024). Following the critical acclaim and box office success of Dune: Part Two, which is still the second highest-grossing film of 2024 as of the time of writing, HBO/Max will debut its first-ever Dune original series in November. The six-part series will take a deep dive into the origins of the Bene Gesserit as led by Emily Watson’s Valya Harkonnen, Olivia Williams’ Tula Harkonnen, and Mark Strong’s Emperor Javicco Corrino.

The series, originally titled “Dune: Sisterhood”, is based on the Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson novel “Sisterhood of Dune” published in 2012. Both Anderson and Brian Herbert, the son of original Dune author Frank Herbert, are attached as executive producers on Dune: Prophecy, which indicates that the story will closely follow the plot of their “Sisterhood of Dune”, which is chronologically the fourth book of the entire Dune book series. The cast of Dune: Prophecy will feature an entirely new set of Dune characters led by Emily Watson, Travis Fimmel, Camilla Beeput, Sarah Lam, Mark Strong, Olivia Williams, Jodhi May, and more.

Dune: Prophecy Is Set 10,000 Years Before The Dune Movies

The Dune series is both a spin-off and a prequel

Dune: Prophecy takes place 10,000 years before the Paul Atreides narrative that begins in Frank Herbert’s novel and Villeneuve’s two Dune films. This means that it’s a near certainty that Chalamet’s iconic character will not be seen in the upcoming Max series, nor will any of the original characters seen in Villeneuve’s celebrated Dune films. As one of the earliest chronological installments of the Dune franchise, Dune: Prophecy will narrow its focus specifically on how the Bene Gesserit was formed. This will likely include an overview of how the Bene Gesserit’s magical mysticism came to be.

Dune: Prophecy will portray how the Bene Gesserit was initially founded, established, and gained mass influence. Focusing on the Bene Gesserit origins will open up one of the darkest and most mysterious aspects of the Dune universe and could make some parts of the prophecy in Dune: Part One and Dune: Part Two easier to understand. It will set a clear link between the Harkonnen and the Bene Gesserit, since two of the series’ leads, Emily Watson and Olivia Williams, are Harkonnensas well as the most powerful leaders of the sisterhood. Dune: Prophecy will chronicle how the Bene Gesserit began pulling the intergalactic strings that eventually led to Paul’s rise in Dune.

Related

Dune: Prophecy’s Timeline Can Set Up A Better Post-Dune 3 Future Than The Books

As a prequel set centuries before the events of Paul’s story, Dune: Prophecy can properly set up a satisfying ending to the core eight-book Dune Saga.

What’s Known About The World In Dune: Prophecy’s Timeline

As of the time of writing, HBO/Max are keeping many of the specific plot details of Dune: Prophecy under wraps. Based on the Sisterhood of Dune novel, the major players in Dune: Prophecy will be Valya and Tula Harkonnen as well as Emperor Javicco Corrino, who is the ancestor of Emperor Shaddam Corrino IV (Christopher Walken) and Princess Irulan Corrino (Florence Pugh) as seen in Dune: Part Two. Reverend Mother Mohiam (Charlotte Rampling) is seen as having a close and quietly manipulative relationship with the ruling Corrinos in Dune: Part Two, so the series should explore the origins of their apparent alliance.

The Atreides are also expected to have a presence in Dune: Prophecy with the introduction of Keiran Atreides, an ancestor of Paul and Leto, who will be played by Chris Mason. According to the plot of “Sisterhood of Dune”, Dune: Prophecy will take place after the Battle of Corrin and the Butlerian Jihad, which is an ancient cataclysmic event that results in the destruction of all forms of computers and advanced AI technologies. It’s likely that the Harkonnen sisters, who begin the sisterhood in Dune: Prophecy, will start their elongated breeding program that eventually unfolds in later installments of Dune.

Related

Is Rebecca Ferguson’s Lady Jessica In Dune’s Upcoming Bene Gesserit Show?

As the release date for HBO’s Dune: Prophecy nears, fans of the franchise are wondering if Rebecca Ferguson’s Lady Jessica will appear in the show.

How Dune: Prophecy Connects To Dune 1 & 2

Harkonnens, Atreides, and the Bene Gesserit are still the major players

If there are direct links to be drawn between Dune: Prophecy and the two Dune films, it will not be through Paul but instead Paul’s mother, Jessica. She was originally required by the Bene Gesserit to bear a daughter instead of a son, who became Paul. Dune: Prophecy could allude to the origins of the sophisticated selective breeding plans of the Bene Gesserit and show how the sisterhood became so deeply entrenched in the Corrino family’s mind and pocket. Dune: Prophecy will likely chronicle the rise of the Bene Gesserit themselves and won’t have anything to do with Paul, although all the major houses of Dune will have an ancient presence.

Dune: Prophecy

Dune: Prophecy is a science fiction series based on the novel by Frank Herbert, set in a distant future where humans have colonized other planets. The story follows Paul Atreides, a young noble who becomes the focal point of a rebellion in a desert planet called Arrakis, where a rare and valuable resource called melange is found. As Paul navigates the complexities of politics and power struggles, he uncovers secrets about his family’s past and the true nature of the planet.

Cast

Emily Watson , Olivia Williams , Travis Fimmel , Jodhi May , Mark Strong , Sarah-Sofie Boussnina , Josh Heuston , Chloe Lea , Jade Anouka , Faoileann Cunningham , Edward Davis , Aoife Hinds , Chris Mason , Shalom Brune-Franklin , Jihae , Tabu , Charithra Chandran , Jessica Barden , Emma Canning , Yerin Ha

Seasons

1

Writers

Diane Ademu-John , Kevin J. Anderson , Brian Herbert , Frank Herbert

Directors

Anna Foerster

Showrunner

Alison Schapker

Creator(s)

Diane Ademu-John

Expand