Just as Covid-19-enforced lockdown restrictions began easing across Australia, the release of Dune in October of last year saw otherwise anxious audiences flock to the cinema in droves. With an all-star cast including the likes of Timothee Chalamet and Zendaya, the film became a box-office smash and has since surpassed $400 million in global earnings. What followed was talk of a sequel, and now, it’s been revealed that HBO Max is also set to release a prequel series titled, The Sisterhood which will star Australia’s own Travis Fimmel of Vikings fame.
Fimmel has become a familiar face in Hollywood, despite living a rather private life. His isn’t a name that you’ll see frequently in the tabloid press, but it is one garnering serious recognition in the entertainment industry as he continues to choose interesting projects such as Raised By Wolves and Warcraft, both of which showed that Fimmel isn’t a star in the making, but rather a star that has now arrived and is wasting no time in cementing his place in the canon of cinema.
In The Sisterhood, Fimmel will play a role he’s become largely acquainted with: that of the somewhat brooding warrior-type. As Desmond Hard, Fimmel will play a “charismatic soldier with an enigmatic past, who seeks to gain the Emperor’s trust at the expense of the Sisterhood.”
For the uninitiated, the Sisterhood refers to Bene Gesserit, a mystical sect that leverages certain magical abilities in order to steer the direction of the universe. Within this highly influential group is Lady Jessica (portrayed by Rebecca Ferguson), who also happens to be the mother of Chalamet’s Paul Atreides.
The prequel will take place 10,000 years prior to the story of Dune which was written by Frank Herbert. Based on the novel by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, it’s expected that we will be introduced to new characters, with no familiar faces who appeared in the original Dune. Joining Fimmel in the cast are Emily Watson, Shirley Henderson, Indira Varma, Sara-Sofie Boussnina, Shalom Brune-Franklin, Faoileann Cunningham, Aoife Hinds and Chloe Lea.
The series has been created by Diane Ademu-John, who shares showrunning duties with Alison Shcapker. Denis Villeneuve was originally set to return to direct the pilot episode with a screenplay from Dune writer, Jon Spaihts, but he’s since handed over the reigns to Emmy award-winning filmmaker Johan Renck of Chernobyl and Breaking Bad acclaim. However, Villeneueve and Spaihts remain attached to the project as executive producers.
Sadly, it will be some time before we see Fimmel take on this exciting new role as Dune: The Sisterhood has no confirmed release date. Still, it’s an exciting time for the Dune-iverse, particularly as the sequel for the blockbuster success is slated to hit theatres in late 2023.
