With a source material many feel is unfilmable it seems almost destined for those striving
to bring Frank Herbert’s vast & intricate epic saga to life on screen to experience
significant production challenges.
Recently it’s been reported that Filming for the HBO Max series Dune: The Sisterhood
has come to a screeching halt with significant crew and cast shakeups occurring behind the
scenes.
In this video I’d like to break down all the latest news surrounding this troubled
production and discuss what this could mean for the future of the Bene Gesserit show and
most importantly why I think this chaotic shakeup could end up being GOOD NEWS for the
future of Frank Herbert’s Duniverse.
Shortly after Dune part one began filming, plans for a prequel spin off series focusing
on the powerful and mysterious all female organization known as the Bene Gesserit was
announced back in June of 2019.
At the time I remember thinking that it might have been premature to announce such an endeavor
when the film that was set to launch this expansion of the Duniverse hadn’t yet proven
itself to be a success.
In fact the studio hadn’t even given a guarantee for the adaptation’s completion as the second
film in Villeneuve’s planned 2 part production wasn’t greenlit until weeks after Dune part
one’s international debut in September of 2021.
So to me it was odd that plans for a spin off series were announced long before the
sequel film was confirmed.
It definitely felt like Legendary was getting ahead of themselves and my initial concerns
seem all the more valid in the wake of continued production delays and crew shakeups behind
the scenes of the Dune Sisterhood Series.
In November of 2022 production was finally getting close to full speed around the start
of filming in Budapest Hungary which coincided with several casting announcements.
Along with this, the setting for the series was also confirmed.
Emily Watson and Shirley Henderson were announced as the show’s leads with Watson playing
the role of Valya Harkonnen and Henderson as Tula Harkonnen.
It was also confirmed that the show would be based on the book Sisterhood of Dune, an
expanded prequel novel written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J Anderson.
Per the official logline, the show would “follow the Harkonnen Sisters as they combat forces
that threaten the future of humankind, and establish the fabled sect known as the Bene
Gesserit”.
However in an exclusive by Deadline it was confirmed several months after filming had
begun that a massive creative shift was occurring behind the scenes.
Chernobyl executive producer Johan Renck, who had signed on to direct the first two
episodes, had exited the project.
Production was then put on hold as the search began for the director’s replacement.
Lead actress Shirley Henderson was also announced to have left the series with her role set
to be recast.
An HBO Max spokesperson said in a statement to Deadline quote: “As Dune: The Sisterhood
has entered a pre-scheduled hiatus, there are some creative changes being made to the
production in an effort to create the best series possible and stay true to the source
material.
Johan Renck has completed his work on the series and a new director will be brought
on; through mutual agreement, Johan is moving on to pursue other projects.
Additionally, Shirley Henderson will be exiting the series and will no longer be playing Tula
Harkonnen.”
When considering the history of the series combined with the information in this statement,
I can’t help but think that prior showrunner shake ups have been a contributing factor
in the series' continued issues.
When the project was first announced for the brand new HBO Max streaming service Filmmaker
Denis Villeneuve was initially attached to direct the first episode with Dune screenwriter
Jon Spaights on board as showrunner.
Several months later Villeneuve and Spaights both exited as director and writer respectively
in order to dedicate their focus to the Dune films.
In July of 2021 Diane Ademu-John was announced as the showrunner, writer, and executive producer
for the sisterhood series.
Ademu-John’s previous writing credits included The Originals, Empire, and Medium.
Later Alison Schapker known for Alias, Lost, Fringe and Almost Human was announced as a
co-showrunner.
Then right as filming began Ademu-John exited the production leaving Schapker in charge
of the series.
According to Deadline’s sources this 11th hour change put pressure on Schapker and her
team to make major rewrites on the fly as the series was beginning production in Budapest.
In addition Deadline also heard that director Johan Renck’s auteur approach did not jibe
with the streamer’s vision for the series as it apparently was a departure from the
look and feel of Villeneuve’s films.
These creative differences are apparently what led to his departure.
Renck has since deleted his previous social media post celebrating the start of filming
for the series.
While the HBO Max spokesperson stated that Renck had completed his work on the show it’s
currently unclear whether any of his filmed footage will ultimately be used in the series
especially if it does not coincide with the new director’s vision.
And since Shirley Henderson who was one of the main leads for the series has left as
well, it goes without saying that all of her scenes will have to be redone.
In the wake of such disarray behind the scenes it's hard for me to believe that this pause
in production was in fact a pre-scheduled hiatus as the spokesperson claims.
The fact that Renck who was so excited about being involved in the project has since deleted
all Dune content from his Instagram account lends credence to the rumors of creative differences
behind the scenes which then led to his sudden departure.
And while it could be true that the pause in production was planned, the exit of a series
lead midway through filming certainly was not.
As it stands, Deadline is hearing conflicting reports on the current hiatus.
While sources close to the production insist that there had always been a plan to stop
filming for the winter months, others indicate that production has been halted by a staggering
seven months to give Schapker and her team the time needed to rewrite scripts and find
a new director.
Even the spokesperson who touted the pre-planned nature of this hiatus revealed that there
was going to be some creative changes to the series supposedly in an effort to create the
best show possible and to stay true to the source material.
In addition, Deadline is also hearing that this delay is wreaking havoc on the other
actors schedules and creating potential conflicts which may lead to more exits and recastings.
Regardless of whether there is something to these rumors and whether or not Deadline’s
anonymous sources are legitimate, there is no denying that this series has experienced
a chaotic production.
These rewrites, reshoots, and the recasting of such a major role indicates significant
issues behind the scenes and confirms my suspicions that there was never a clear creative vision
driving this show from the outset.
A major reason for my long-held skepticism of this series was the inherently unstable
foundation upon which Legendary was attempting to build.
When the HBO spokesperson stated that they were making creative changes in order to stay
true to the source material I honestly couldn't begin to have an idea of what they think that
means.
Repeatedly this show has been advertised as one that is based on Frank Herbert’s Dune
novel.
However, it is actually set 10,000 years before that book and follows the Harkonnen sisters
in their efforts to establish the Bene Gesserit sisterhood.
It has also been confirmed that the series is based on Brian Herbert and Kevin J Anderson’s
Sisterhood of Dune novel as it follows the stories of Valya and Tula Harkonnen, who both
appear in that book.
However, as the rest of the cast and their roles have been announced, the inclusion of
several original characters appears to confirm that this series could only be very loosely
based on Brian and Kevin’s book.
This was a factor that I never had an issue with as the expanded Dune novels are notorious
for straying far and often from several key elements of Frank Herbert’s original writings.
Even so, given HBO’s statement, I’m left wondering: to which source material are they
striving to remain true?
Whatever the case may be, I feel it’s absolutely the correct move for this project to be delayed
especially if it’s in the interest of striving for a more faithful adherence to Frank Herbert’s
writings.
If Legendary and HBO are set on maintaining Villeneuve’s aesthetic I think it’s vital
to prioritize his involvement in the production of the series.
Which likely will be much easier after the completion of post-production on Dune part
2.
The silver lining in this delay is that hopefully it gives the creatives in charge of this production
time to build a strong foundation, a cohesive vision for the series that remains faithful
to the spirit of Frank Herbert’s mythos.
A series that compliments the author’s themes, that maintains his carefully thought out rules
and concepts that define this universe, and that respects and adheres to the canonically
established events and history upon which the Dune saga was established.
Ultimately, I hope for as much time to be taken as necessary to create a series worthy
of Frank Herbert’s legendarium.
After all, A beginning is the time for taking the most delicate care that the balances are
correct.
This every sister of the Bene Gesserit knows.
But I’m curious to know what you think about this news.
Is it likely that this series of shakeups and the subsequent hiatus could work out for
the best?
Do you think it’s likely or even possible that the Dune Sisterhood series will be a
faithful addition to Frank Herbert’s legendarium?
Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below.
I hope you enjoyed this video.
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news and lore.
Thank you all so much for your support and as always have a very nerdy day.