EntertainmentTVSci-Fi ShowsDune: ProphecyDune: Prophecy star teases her character and says that the sci-fi series “isn’t like Star Wars"When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
EntertainmentTVSci-Fi ShowsDune: ProphecyDune: Prophecy star teases her character and says that the sci-fi series “isn’t like Star Wars"When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: HBO)
10,000 years before Paul Atreides became versed in the ways of the Bene Gesserit, two Harkonnen sisters forged their own destiny, helping bring the religious group to life. That’s the focus of Dune: Prophecy, a prequel show heading our screens this November.
Now, Valya Harkonnen actor Emily Watson has teased more of the “moral complexity” of the HBO series – while dismissing comparisons toanotherbig sci-fi franchise.
“It’s built around the Bene Gesserit order. That’s the sisterhood. That’s one of the central characters in it, and all the universes that they control, and their power… it’s kind of fascinating,” Watson tellsTotal Film in our new issueout on Thursday, September 12, which features The Penguin on the cover.
And what of the Harkonnens? While Watson says they are still “a bit of a fucked-up family”, the clan will be “very recognisably human and complicated” and “less extreme” than their film counterparts millennia into the future.
That all amounts to Dune: Prophecy blending a mix of old lore and world-building with the chance to explore more uncharted territory. For Watson, that’s a boon that allows her to showcase her talents.
“It was very exciting, but also very great to go into that world with the security of knowing I’ve got the skill set to make everything feel real,” Watson says. “It’s a very interesting palette because it’s not childish… it’s not like Star Wars. It has a moral complexity, which is interesting.”
Dune: Prophecy is released on HBO in the US in November and on NOW TV and Sky in the UK later this year. Watson’s latest release, Small Things Like These, opens in cinemas on November 1. And you can read more about it and a whole lot else besides in the new issue of Total Film when it hits shelves and digital newsstands on Thursday, September 12.
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Check out the covers below:
(Image credit: Sky/HBO/Total Film)
Subscribers have the exclusive text-free cover on the way to them right now, with the issue then hitting shops and digital newsstands on Thursday 12 September.
(Image credit: Sky/HBO/Warner Bros/Disney/20th Century Studios/Prime Video)
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1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1
Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
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Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
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Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
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5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
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1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
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2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
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2
Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
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3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
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4
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1
Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
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3
Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
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4
Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
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5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5
Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”