Unlike Denis Villeneuve’s Dune movies, which are relatively faithful adaptations of the books, Dune: Prophecy is a foray into Dune lore.
The former has a ton of written material to rely on, while the latter relies on secondary exposition and Frank Herbert’s world-building machinations.
The Bene Gesserit are part of a much larger whole, though their direct role in the events of Dune and the succeeding books is integral and extensive.
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Regardless of what anyone thinks of Dune (beneath the immense worldbuilding is a simple and straightforward premise), Dune: Prophecy has the advantage of disengagement from the core.
This is both good and bad because it opens up a window of creative opportunity but retains just enough association that it runs the risk of seriously pissing off the Dune faithful.
Book-to-movie adaptations are broad strokes, capable of capturing the essence of the original painting, but only if you view it from a hundred feet away.
A TV series, however, is capable of much more, especially under the auspices of a network like HBO. Even the movie had to split into two long parts (2:35 and 2:45 runtimes, respectively) to cover the major plot points of a single, massive volume.
Dune: Prophecy relies on the sweeping scale of Frank Herbert’s worldbuilding, but it doesn’t have to adhere to anything more than the historical timeline of the fiction it emulates.
That said, the showrunners had to tackle two problems while making Dune: Prophecy. The first is adhering to some semblance of Herbert’s vision (they don’t want to irritate that built-in fanbase too much).
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The second is the corner Herbert painted himself into. No, I’m not saying he screwed up when writing the Dune novels, but I am saying that he ran into the exact same problem George R.R. Martin would encounter years later.
Frank Herbert created a massive universe, including races, houses, history, personalities, civilizations, orders (in terms of groups), political intrigues, religions, and more.
The problem is that he tied everything to a single planet and mostly a single-family bloodline. Herbert’s decision made it very difficult for him to branch out in later books, and it’s a knot the series will have to unravel, at least in terms of satiating the fan base.
On the other hand, Dune: Prophecy has many advantages. The Bene Gesserit is a fascinating group, previously known as the Sisterhood of Rossak.
They were not always the empire-managing, political goliaths they were throughout Paul Atreides’ time. The fictional history of the Bene Gesserit is extensive, but much of their rise to power came post-Frank Herbert.
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Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson wrote Sisterhood of Dune, the book on which Dune: Prophecy is loosely based. This gives the showrunners some leeway since they don’t have to adhere to the tight strings woven together by Frank Herbert.
Unfortunately, Frank’s predilection toward putting together a tight knot of interrelated characters and set-pieces, Brian and Kevin are not on the same level.
They’re certainly decent writers, but they face the same problems Frank did — expanding outward when all of the escape hatches are inoperable. The result? Inconsistencies and plot holes throughout.
It’s not an enviable task, sticking close to the source material, satiating fans of one of the biggest and bestselling sci-fi stories ever written, creating enough fresh content to draw in new fans, and honoring the legacy of Frank Herbert.
The best TV series find common ground, compromise only when necessary, and trim the fat in smart, sensical ways.
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Also, calling the production process a clean, expedient development stretches the truth. Dune Director Denis Villeneuve and writer Jon Spaihts were heavily involved with Dune: Prophecy, at least initially.
Dune Parts 1 and 2 put an end to that, along with rumors that Spaihts’ work was subpar. Alison Schapker took over shortly after, and she has a more up-and-down history of success. This is especially true concerning the adaptation process, which is the heart of the discussion here.
Alison was an executive producer of Altered Carbon, which is a prime example of what happens when the series’ direction departs from the source material.
She also worked on Almost Human and Westworld. The latter will go down in history as a shining example of how quickly showrunners can turn pure gold into a steaming pile of manure.
From a more optimistic point of view, Alison Schapker was involved (to one degree or another) on Lost, Alias, Fringe, Scandal, and Charmed, all of which were very successful.
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Based on that information alone, it’s hard to say in what direction Dune: Prophecy will go. On the one hand, it’s not as big of a deal to break from Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson as it is to break from Frank Herbert.
On the other, hardcore fans are notoriously pestilential, and Dune has an enormous fanbase that stretches across generations.
Couple that with the fact that Dune: Prophecy is releasing in the shadow of two Dune movies that most consider the best possible adaptations of the source material ever made.
It’s likely that some are fairly nervous about it. Denis Villeneuve somehow captured Frank Herbert’s extensive use of inner monologue (some say too extensive) and packaged it with the action, all of which are encompassed in the ephemeral beauty of Arrakis.
Dune: Prophecy has no such weighty dilemmas to translate from page to screen, but it does have a fictional history that is important to those who know and love the lore of the books.
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And this one is going all the way back to the inception of the Bene Gesserit. In a way, the Bene Gesserit is the character itself. As the focal point of Dune: Prophecy, we’ll get to see the beginnings of a small cult that grows into an all-encompassing, nigh-invulnerable force.
There are some changes from the books, which may cause some concern. Valya Haronnen (Emily Watson) was not the first Reverend Mother. While that may be true in the series as well, it certainly doesn’t look that way.
Empress Natalya and Jarrico Corrino are entirely new. Based on the trailer, Vayla’s sister, Nula Harkonnen, seems elevated as well. A series or a movie will often create new characters that encompass a variety of characters who are too much for the screen.
Maybe that’s all there is to it. Regardless of which direction Dune: Prophecy takes, it will be released soon, and the trailer looks fairly enticing. We shall see.
Are you a fan of the Dune books, and are you worried the show will be a poor adaptation? Let us know in the comments!
Dune: Prophecy premieres on HBO on Sunday, November 17 at 9/8c. You can also watch it on Max.
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