Get ready to jump back into the world of Dune with HBO's new spinoff series, Dune: Prophecy. Taking place 10,000 years before the events of the 2021 film, the show — developed by Alison Schapker (Westworld) and Diane Ademu-John (Medium) — shows us how the super-powered sisterhood known as the Bene Gesserit comes to be, and how Harkonnen sisters Valya and Tula navigate the many threats against them.
The impressive cast of Dune: Prophecy includes Emily Watson, Olivia Williams, Travis Fimmel, Mark Strong, Jodhi May, and other familiar faces, along with newcomers Chloe Lea, Sarah-Sofie Boussnina, and more. Having seen the first two episodes of the prequel, I can tease that it's worth watching. The exclusive and mysterious sisterhood is one of my favorite parts of the Dune movies, so getting a chance to dig deeper into their lore is a thrill, plus the acting, writing, cinematography, and costumes are solid.
Dune: Prophecy’s Sarah-Sofie Boussnina and Josh Heuston interview
I had the pleasure of catching up with some of the Dune: Prophecy cast members at New York Comic Con earlier this month. I got to chat with Sarah-Sofie Boussnina, who plays Princess Ynez, and Josh Heuston, who plays Constantine, royal half-siblings with a lot on their plate. As the children of Emperor Javicco Corrino, they're expected to behave differently than most people their age.
In a spoiler-free conversation, the actors broke down the pressures their characters face as well as how their bond as brother and sister gets them through it. When asked how their characters keep the balance of fulfilling their duty and engaging in other activities, Boussnina shared:
"I think for Ynez, you know, she does want to live up to her decision and she wants to be the future ruler but she also does things her way. And I think, you know, for her, it’s like there’s the life of the palace and the duties and all of that, and then, you know, there’s life."
“She and her brother… He’s one of the only people who really knows her and who she really trusts because he knows exactly what she goes through and how it is living this life,” Boussnina continued, to which Heuston added, “It’s a shared experience.”
For Constantine, Heuston doesn't believe his character juggles it all as well as his sister: “Constantine doesn’t really keep that balance. I think he endeavors to make the right decisions but a lot of the time his own vices lead him astray.” The actor says Constantine battles “demons within him” like his addictions at the start of the series, but teased an arc for him to come:
"He ends up in a very, very different place towards the end of it. And I think he is continuously trying to better himself and, I guess, become the leader that his father would want him to be, and he’s continuously working on that."
Dune: Prophecy features an ensemble cast of unique characters with different motivations. We’d recommend not underestimating any of them. To take a closer look at the prequel series, check out the trailer below:
Dune: Prophecy premieres on November 17 on HBO and Max.
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