Dune Companion Series To Debut On WarnerMedia Service
by Erik Amaya
The Litany Against Fear has convinced WarnerMedia to develop a Dune companion series for its upcoming streaming service.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Dune: The Sisterhood will focus on the Bene Gesserit Sisterhood, one of the many factions in the known universe with an interest in controlling the planet Arrakis, also known as Dune. For them, the planet is the source of both the life-extending Spice Melange and the Water of Life; the bile of the newborn Arakeen sandworms Bene Gerrerit reverend mothers can transmute from a deadly poison into a powerful psychoactive drug. It also gives them other metaphysical powers and knowledge. There attempts to control Arrakis and the Padishah Empire mainly comes from their prominence as mediators and educators, and via a secret breeding program. Across generations, they have manipulate the bloodlines of the noble house in the hopes of creating the Kwisatz Haderach, a male child capable of drinking the Water of Life and going to a place women cannot.
Yeah, it definitely sounds sort of sketchy to modern ears.
Jon Spaihts will write the series and Dune feature film director Denis Villeneuve will direct the pilot episode. “The Bene Gesserit have always been fascinating to me,” he said in a statement. “Focusing a series around that powerful order of women seemed not only relevant and inspiring but a dynamic setting for the television series.” It is unclear how close to the events of the films the series will take place, but a series examining their origins would be an interesting expansion of the series as it is ground not yet covered by author Frank Herbert’s son Brian Herbert.
In the 1984 David Lynch version of Dune, the Sisterhood was represented by Lady Jessica (Francesca Annis), The Reverend Mother Helen Gaius Mohiam (Sian Philips) and the Freman Reverend Mother Ramallo (Silvana Mangano). Additionally, the Imperial Princess Irulan (Virginia Madsen in the 1984) film is a member of the Sisterhood, but this fact did not appear in Lynch’s production. In Villeneuve’s upcoming film, Jessica will be played by Rebecca Ferguson while Charlotte Rampling will play Mohiam. The identities of Ramallo and Irulan have not yet been confirmed.
Dune is set for release on November 20th, 2020.
