Emily Watson Teases Details of Her Character and Storyline in DUNE: PROPHECY and Says the Series "Isn't Like STAR WARS"
Max’s upcoming epic sci-fi series Dune: Prophecy will tell a story that takes place 10,000 years before the events of the first Dune novel.
The series follows the Harkonnen Sisters as they combat forces that threaten the future of humankind and establish the fabled sect known as the Bene Gesserit. Emily Watson and Olivia Williams will portray Valya Harkonnen and Tula Harkonnen, respectively, the formidable Harkonnen Sisters who have risen to power in the Sisterhood.
Watson recently sat down with Total Film (via GamesRadar) to tease the "moral complexity" of the HBO series, while dismissing comparisons to another big sci-fi franchise. She explained:
"It’s built around the Bene Gesserit order. That’s the sisterhood. That’s one of the central characters in it, and all the universes that they control, and their power… it’s kind of fascinating.”
Watson says they are still "a bit of a fucked-up family", the clan will be "very recognizably human and complicated" and "less extreme" than their film counterparts millennia into the future. That all amounts to Dune: Prophecy blending a mix of old lore and world-building with the chance to explore more uncharted territory. For Watson, that's a boon that allows her to showcase her talents. Watson says:
"It was very exciting, but also very great to go into that world with the security of knowing I’ve got the skill set to make everything feel real. It’s a very interesting palette because it’s not childish… it’s not like Star Wars. It has a moral complexity, which is interesting."
Dune: Prophecy will be released on HBO in the US in November and on NOW TV and Sky in the UK later this year.