Dune: Prophecyshowrunner Alison Schapker offers clarity regarding the show’s multiple timelines. Based on the world created by Frank Herbert,Dune: Prophecytakes placeten thousand years before the events ofDuneand the story of Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet). The show, which stars Emily Watson, Mark Strong, Olivia Williams, and Travis Fimmel, is expected to chart the origins of the Bene Gesserit, with a story that focuses on the lives of Harkonnen sisters Valya (Watson) and Tula (Williams).
In a recent interview withEW, Schapker reveals thatDune: Prophecywon’t just take place in one timeline. According to the showrunner,the HBO series will chronicle Valya’s life across multiple timelines, including one drawn from theSisterhood of Duneprequel novel by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, as well as another three decades after this. Throughout these different time periods, the characters remain aware of the past and present, but also the future, particularly through the Reverend Mother’s ability to access memories of those who came before her. Check out Schapker’s comment below:
“I really believe that we found the best of both worlds when it comes to adaptation. Sisterhood of Dune was our seminal text that we were working with and drawing inspiration from. Our story is tethered to the events in that book, but we also are telling a story that takes place 30 years after the events of the book. So we have both the book to draw from, but we also have room to develop our characters and tell the story of Valya Harkonnen across multiple timelines.
“A hallmark of Dune is that time is not just linear. Some of them are actively communicating with their female ancestors at any given time. There are hidden histories and secrets to be discovered in the past that very much influenced the present, as our characters design the future. We wanted to create a series that allowed history to be alive, and that meant spending some of our time in the past.”
What Dune: Prophecy’s Multiple Timelines Mean For The Show
Why More Than One Timeline Is Befitting A Story About The Bene Gesserit
Time has always been approached in a unique way in theDunefranchise, particularly through the Bene Gesserit. This mysterious group essentially guides humanity toward favorable evolution and a better future. This means the Bene Gesserit sometimes make decisions that don’t make sense to those around them who aren’t part of the Sisterhood. While Denis Villeneuve’sDunemovies do touch on this, the HBO series is set to lean into it in a major way.
Villeneuve will return forDune: Part Three, which is currently in the script stage.
New Dune Show Is Going To Change How You Watch 1 Major Character’s Role In The Movies
Even though HBO’s Dune: Prophecy is set 10,000 years before the events of the films, the series will change how viewers see one Dune character’s role.
TheDunemovies take place across one linear timeline, resulting in a fairly clear story with an easy-to-follow arc for Paul.Dune: Prophecy, as a TV show, evidently has more runtime to play with, allowing Schapker to complicate a traditional narrative structure and explore what makes the Bene Gesserit such an interesting order. Through this multiple-timelines approach,the show has an opportunity to more accurately convey how the Bene Gesserit see the world and what their larger plans look like across multiple decades.
Our Take On Dune: Prophecy’s Multiple Timelines
The HBO Series Needs To Feel Distinct From Denis Villeneuve’s Dune Movies
While telling a multiple-timeline story wouldn’t have made sense for Paul’s arc,Dune: Prophecynow has a chance to set itself apart from Villeneuve’s films, leaning into some of the idiosyncrasies in the franchise’s novels. Setting itself apart from Villeneuve’s films structurally is probably wise given theglowingDune: Part Tworeviewsand the positive reception to its predecessor.
It was always going to be a challenge forDune: Prophecyto live up to Villeneuve’s two movies, but embracing what makes it different could result in a compelling expansion of that universe. Splitting a story up into multiple timelines, however, also has the potential to be confusing or less emotionally impactful if not handled correctly, meaningDune: Prophecyevidently has its work cut out for it.
Dune: Prophecy
Cast
Set in the universe of Frank Herbert’s Dune series, Dune: Prophecy, a sci-fi epic, follows the political and spiritual struggles on the desert planet of Arrakis. As factions vie for control of the prized spice melange, a prophesied hero emerges, challenging the balance of power and the fate of the galaxy.
