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Dune: Prophecy: A New Look at the Bene Gesserit – How the Prequel Differs from the Movies!
Get ready for a deep dive into theDuneuniverse!Dune: Prophecy, the upcoming prequel series, hittingMaxinNovember 2024, offers a fresh perspective on the legendaryBene Gesserit.UnlikeDenis Villeneuve'smovies, which show them as already established, powerful, and super mysterious,Prophecyshows those origins– thatfragile foundation– from10,000 yearsbeforePaul Atreides'rise.
The series will show those key elements from its source material; an earlier time. It will tell those untold stories and reveal exactly just how and why theseBene Gesseritwere actually formed. It will be really exciting, with starsEmily WatsonandOlivia Williams(asValyaandTula Harkonnen). It provides a look behind that iconic mysterious curtain; it even goes beyond the earlier movie portrayals!
Allison Schapkey,Dune: Prophecy’sexecutive producer, gave us an exclusive inside scoop atNYCC.She described those earlier movies which presented this powerful, already fully establishedBene Gesserit; those ruthless, mysterious women already wielding immense power.Prophecywill completely change this. It changes that dynamic entirely: The story shows that fragility – those early struggles– which demonstrates those key steps necessary to become those dominant women that we'd already come to know. It displays just how difficult getting there was and demonstrates just whyValya Harkonnenis so incredibly critical; she leads the charge. Schapkeyherself explains those details as she emphasizes those early challenges:"I think when you see the Bene Gesserit in the films, first of all, you're really seeing their forward face. They cultivate such a mystique, such a mystery. And they're out there being ruthless and decisive and powerful and trying to play every angle and manipulate every possible outcome. And they're very much in their power. And I think in our series you're watching, like I said, the birth of that and you're seeing behind the scenes what goes into making an organization like that. And I think Valya Harkonnen is going to take a young institution that's fragile, that is under attack in certain ways, and she's going to grow it and protect it and fight for it and ensure its survival. And how that happens is how we are different, but also speak to the Bene Gesserit later when it's in its full power."
Based loosely onBrian HerbertandKevin J. Anderson’sbook,Sisterhood of Dune(2012),Dune: Prophecystarts 80 years after theButlerian Jihad(that intense conflict between humans and AI). The series explores the fall ofHouse Harkonnenfollowing their producing of a traitor in a critical moment during that earlier war! It really emphasizes how different these moments really were.
The entire series adds other important elements which makes this time-setting far more detailed and intriguing, presenting a period previously unseen: this creates other interesting questions around the already existing conflicts; those powerful rivalries including theHarkonnens,Atreides,andBene Gesserit. This is going to bring some significant developments which will really redefine how the universe and how the history was developed!
By focusing onValya,Dune: Prophecyexplores a completely uncharted area: those connections between theBene GesseritandHouse Harkonnen; those crucial details that are fundamental for building those massive events inDuneand why it really should get the needed attention, showcasing many unseen parts; thus presenting the early power dynamics and struggles betweenHouse AtreidesandHarkonnen. This will significantly impact our own perception of what we know in the greaterDunetimeline.
By focusing on theBene Gesserit'sorigins,Dune: Prophecyoffers those previously unseen details from its prior movies and from earlier iterations within its universe; the untold stories which show just how interesting its power really was and emphasizes why they actually mattered and changed their future dramatically. This makes for some interesting choices made by the showrunners and creators, including changes in setting which adds more value; those small moments, these are totally worth looking at, especially those previously underrepresented aspects surrounding its world, emphasizing exactly what theBene Gesseritstood for, as seen and impacted fromValya’sperspective; leading the charge toward their dominance!
This will add intrigue –totally unexpected insights. So, those who already enjoyedVilleneuve'smovies, and even newcomers, this show’s worth a watch, it's simply the thing we’ve all been awaiting! This kind of storytelling only improves the original narrative. It totally delivers!