Despite a sluggish start, screenwriter Alison Schapker (“Charmed”, “Fringe”, “Scandal”) signs with “Dune: Prophecy” an exciting adaptation of “The Sisterhood” by Brian Herbert, a prequel to the literary monument written by his father. A series in six episodes to watch on MyCanal.
The action of “Dune: Prophecy” takes place ten thousand years before what we recently discovered at the cinema in the successful films of Denis Villeneuve, based on the famous science fiction novels by Frank Herbert. If the beginning of the series slips in a soft underbelly where even a sandworm would get bogged down, no one needs to have a master’s degree in “Dune” to find interest in it. Certainly, abandoned novices will no doubt give up quickly, the fault being incomprehensible ins and outs until the fourth episode where everything finally becomes clearer, while the action picks up speed.
Almost a century after the Butlerian jihad which saw humans win the war against the thinking machines across the galaxy, House Harkonnen, expelled from the Imperium for treason, vegetates in exile on the frozen planet Lankiveil by trading in the skin of whale. Valya (Emily Watson), who can no longer stand this degrading situation, intends to carry out her revenge so that her house regains its status. She and her sister Tula (Olivia Williams) join the Order, a women’s convent, to learn the art of divination.
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A sumptuous blend of space opera tinged with fantasy
Over the years, they take control of this school of Truth Tellers and form a silent army of sisters who whisper in the ear of the powerful of the Imperium the course to follow. The unambiguous plan is to manipulate these decision-makers to oust Emperor Corrino (Mark Strong), while favoring the future birth of Paul Atreides, a superior being with unparalleled divination abilities, an essential asset to rule the galaxy and commerce spice. A grain of sand will call everything into question: Desmond Hart (Travis Fimmel).
This soldier from Arrakis, a miraculous survivor, returns to the planet Salusa Secundus to restore peace to the Imperium shaken by rebels. Endowed with insane supernatural powers, he attracts the good graces and trust of the emperor after some spectacular feats of arms. Alcove intrigues, rivalries, shenanigans escalate as the influence of Valya and her sisterhood waver due to this enigmatic man.
“Dune: Prophecy”, which belongs to the same HBO team as “Game of Thrones”, is part of this lineage by pulling on the same strings, minus the dragons, and more of the sandworms. This sumptuous mix of space opera tinged with fantasy, spicy to the point, with its majestic sets, its austere costumes, its heavy atmosphere, its dark tone make this prequel to “Dune” an ideal interlude to wait until the cinema release , end of 2026, of the third opus of the saga directed by Denis Villeneuve.
Philippe Congiusti/sf
“Dune: Prophecy”, by Anna Foerster, with Emily Watson, Mark Strong and Travis Fimmel. Season 1, 6 episodes. Available on MyCanal since November 18, 2024.
