Dune's HBO Max Series Gets a New Showrunner

The reveal of a new trailer for Denis Villeneuve's Dune isn't the only good news for the franchise fans were given today, as Variety confirms that HBO Max's planned TV series Dune: The Sisterhood has scored Diane Ademu-John as its new showrunner. The series lost showrunner Jon Spaihts back in November of 2019, reportedly due in large part to his commitments of developing the sequel to the feature film, with Ademu-John having previously worked on The Haunting of Bly Manor, The Originals, and The Vampire Diaries. Villeneuve is still attached to the project to direct the pilot, though it's unknown when the production could move forward.

Variety details that the series is "told through the eyes of a mysterious order of women known as the Bene Gesserit. Given extraordinary abilities by their mastery of the body and the mind, the Bene Gesserit expertly weave through the feudal politics and intrigue of The Imperium, pursuing plans of their own that will ultimately lead them to the enigmatic planet Arrakis, known to its inhabitants as Dune. It will serve as a prequel to the films."

"The Bene Gesserit have always been fascinating to me," Villeneuve previously shared in a statement about the project. "Focusing a series around that powerful order of women seemed not only relevant and inspiring but a dynamic setting for the television series."

The original Dune novel from Frank Herbert has become one of the most beloved books in sci-fi history, which earned a number of follow-up narratives and has been brought to life in both films and live-action series. In addition to the franchise expanding with this TV series, Villeneuve has also previously mentioned that he needs at least one more movie to tell the entire story from the debut novel.

"The story is so rich and complex that, in order to be faithful to the book, we'll need to make at least two movies," the filmmaker admitted last year when the first trailer was unveiled. "That was a deal right at the start."

While no official word from Warner Bros. has emerged about a follow-up film, the cinematographer of the first film has confirmed that it will feel like a complete journey, despite not tackling all of the beats from the source material.

"It's a fully formed story in itself with places to go. It's a fully standalone epic film that people will get a lot out of when they see it," Fraser shared with Collider last year. "It was quite an adventure visually. It was a beautiful experience making it. The people involved with it, I was overwhelmed. Some of the actors, as well as being insanely talented actors, are just lovely, lovely people who I've become very close to since then."

Stay tuned for details on Dune: The Sisterhood. Dune hits theaters and HBO Max on October 22nd.

Are you looking forward to the new TV series? Let us know in the comments below or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things Star Wars and horror!