Showrunner leaves Dune: The Sisterhood prequel on HBO Max

Denis Villeneuve’s Dune was a hit when it came out in theaters last year, and Warner Bros. Discovery is making the most of it. There’s a sequel movie on the way that will reunite Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Stellan Skarsgård and the rest of the cast from the first film as they finish adapting Brian Herbert’s 1965 sci-fi classic. But WBD is also making a Dune TV show for HBO Max called Dune: The Sisterhood.

Set some 10,000 years before Dune proper, Dune: The Sisterhood is all about the Bene Gesserit, the mysterious order of women who pull the strings behind major events in the galaxy. Emily Watson and Shirley Henderson will be respectively playing Valya and Tula Harkonnen, early members of the Bene Gesserit. Other cast members include Indira Varma and Travis Fimmel.

The show just started filming, but there’s been a shake-up: Deadline reports that co-creator Diane Ademu-John has stepped down from the role of co-showrunner, leaving TV veteran Allison Schapker as the sole showrunner going forward.

Dune prequel series loses showrunner just as filming begins

Ademu-John will remain involved with the series creatively as an executive producer but will focus on “other commitments,” as Deadline puts it. Other executive producers include Denis Villenueve and Brian Herbert, who’s been writing books set in the Dune universe since the death of his father Frank Herbert in 1986. Dune: The Sisterhood will draw inspiration directly from his work.

The first Dune movie was quite good, but does this have the legs to be a big franchise with projects spread across movies and TV? That’s what WBD is angling to find out.

There’s no release date for Dune: The Sisterhood as of yet.

To stay up to date on everything fantasy, science fiction, and WiC, follow our all-encompassing Facebook page and sign up for our exclusive newsletter.

Get HBO, Starz, Showtime and MORE for FREE with a no-risk, 7-day free trial of Amazon Channels