Witness the rise of the Bene Gesserit in new Dune: Prophecy teaser

Fans of director Denis Villeneuve's epic two-part film adaptation of Frank Herbert's Dune have no doubt been curious about the upcoming HBO Max series, Dune: Prophecy. It's a prequel series inspired by the novel Sisterhood of Dune, written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, exploring the origins of the Bene Gesserit. The studio just dropped a tantalizing teaser rife with political intrigue, ominous warnings, and a bit of hand-to-hand combat.

The series was first announced in 2019, with Villeneuve serving as an executive producer and Alison Schapker (Alias, Fringe, Altered Carbon) serving as showrunner. The first season will consist of six episodes, and it's unclear how closely the series will adhere to the source material. Per the official premise:

Set 10,000 years before the ascension of Paul Atreides, Dune: Prophecy follows two Harkonnen sisters as they combat forces that threaten the future of humankind, and establish the fabled sect that will become known as the Bene Gesserit.

Emily Watson co-stars as Valya Harkonnen, leader of the Sisterhood, with Olivia Williams playing her sister, Tula Harkonnen. Mark Strong plays Emperor Javicco Corrino, described as "a man from a great line of war-time Emperors, who is called upon to govern the Imperium and manage a fragile peace," while Jodhi May plays Empress Natalya and Sarah-Sofie Boussnina plays Princess Ynez.