A new Dune: Prophecy's cast of characters includes Emily Watson as Valya Harkonnen, Olivia Williams as Valya's sister, Tula Harkonnen, Sarah-Sofie Boussnina as Princess Ynez, Mark Strong as Emperor Javicco Corrino, and Chris Mason as Keiran Atreides.

Now, Max has released a trailer that shows the planet of Arrakis and the sandworms 10,000 years before Paul Atreides will forever change the planet. In addition to Arrakis, the characters are seen on many planets as well, as Valya builds the Bene Gesserit and Emperor Corrino makes political maneuvers to maintain his control over the Imperium. Valya and other of the nascent Bene Gesserit sisterhood are also heard using the Voice, which allows them to control others. Check out the trailer below:

What This Means For Dune: Prophecy

The Prequel Feels Familiar While Having A Larger Scope

Dune: Prophecy's trailer demonstrates how the prequel series is building off of Denis Villeneuve's Dune adaptations while also forging its own identity. How the Voice sounds, the visual depiction of Arrakis, the clothing worn by the Bene Gesserit, and other elements all feel stylistically consistent with Villeneuve's movies. The sighting of a sandworm, discussion of how important Arrakis is to the Imperium's politics, and the inclusion of the Harkonnen, Corrino, and Atreides families all feel reminiscent of the movies as well.

At the same time, Dune: Prophecy feels like it has a much larger scope, as Arrakis is not the only primary setting, as Valya and the other characters travel to different worlds. This increased scope is also felt through the shots of space travel, which visually were not shown as much in the recent Dune adaptations, despite the importance of spice being needed for space travel. With greater focus on the Bene Gesserit and their origins, more of their formidable powers are being teased, with the movies only showing a relatively small portion of their abilities.

Our Take On The Dune: Prophecy Trailer

The Prequel Strikes A Perfect Balance

Between its expansive world-building, political drama, and sci-fi action, Dune: Prophecy has the potential to have widespread appeal. The Dune timeline ensures that it is far enough removed from Villeneuve's movies while also feeling like a consistent and compelling addition to the franchise. Dune: Prophecy is poised to become a streaming hit for HBO as 2024 continues to be the year of the Dune franchise being at the forefront of entertainment and popular culture.

Source: Max