Dune: The Sisterhood Series Finally Gets a New Director

While anticipation continues to rise across the sands for Denis Villeneuve‘s upcoming epic sci-fi sequel, Dune: Part Two, plenty of uncertainty has risen around the saga’s spin-off series Dune: The Sisterhood, which has been struggling to get production off the ground with a constant revolving door of cast and crew. After the latest departures put the show on effective hiatus, per a report from Deadline, Anna Foerster has come aboard as the series’ new director, planning to helm several of the episodes including the pilot. Jodhi May has also been recast in the role of Empress Natalya while Olivia Williams will be playing Tula Harkonnen.

Related: Rebecca Ferguson Shares Her NSFW Enthusiasm For Dune: Part Two’s “Gut Punch” Scale

In the wake of Dune: Part One‘s success, Denis Villeneuve grew more confident for the saga’s future, pursuing not only a direct cinematic sequel but another related passion project of his, which would be a spin-off series for HBO titled Dune: The Sisterhood. The series will dive deep into the history of the mysterious and fascinating Bene Gesserit, who were introduced in the first film via Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), her son Paul Atreides (Timothee Chalamet), and Reverand Mother Mohiam (Charlotte Rampling). The sect is comprised entirely of women who undergo rigorous physical training and mental conditioning to develop superhuman abilities, most notably their power known as The Voice, which makes them a formidable force that has influenced galactic politics for countless centuries, making them the true puppeteers of history. Based on the novel Sisterhood of Dune by Frank’s son Brian Herbert, the show would take place 10,000 years before the ascension of Paul Atreides, and focus on two Harkonnen sisters who battle threats that threaten the future of humankind, leading to the formation of the Bene Gesserit. Villeneuve remarked in a previous interview how excited he was to bring the series to life, that it would be the perfect gateway into the incredibly dense universe created by author Frank Herbert.

“The Bene Gesserit have always been fascinating to me. Focusing a series around that powerful order of women seemed not only relevant and inspiring but a dynamic setting for the television series.”

New Director and Cast Presents Hope For ‘Sisterhood’, But There’s a Catch

Villeneuve himself was initially set to direct the show, however as time passed and production was set to begin on Dune: Part Two, he had no choice but to step back in order to focus on his much bigger obligation. While he remains an executive producer of the project, the torch was passed from one showrunner to another, with Johan Renck being the latest director to depart earlier this year. From unsatisfactory scripts to actors running into scheduling conflicts, the cast and crew were constantly changing over the course of three years, with uncertainty growing as to whether or not the show would truly come to fruition. However, there is now some hope with a new director now on board, and two new cast members.

Anna Foerster now sits at the show’s helm, with plans to direct several episodes of the series. Her previous work includes action horror flick Underworld: Blood Wars (2016), and thriller film Lou (2022). Diane Ademu-John has stayed on as creator, writer, and executive producer. Meanwhile, Olivia Williams (The Crown) has taken the role of Tula Harkonnen after Shirley Henderson stepped down back in February. Johdi May (The Witcher) will now play Empress Natalya after Indira Varma had to back out due to scheduling conflicts. They join other cast such as Emily Watson (Chernobyl) as Valya Harkonnen, Mark Strong (Shazam! Fury of the Gods) as Emperor Javicco Corrino, and Travis Fimmel (Vikings) as Desmond Hart. While Hans Zimmer continues to work on the Dune feature films, Icelandic musician Jónsi is composing the soundtrack for the series.

While the production may finally have the pieces it needs to move forward, there still remains the matter of the ongoing WGA strike, which has effectively shut down much of Hollywood as thousands of writers picket for fair wages and better working conditions. It remains to be seen if Dune: The Sisterhood can actually start wherever it left off, as there will very likely be a need for script rewrites. The strike, which began in early May, still shows no signs of closure as talks continue.

Meanwhile, Dune: Part Two is set to arrive in theaters on November 3. Check out the latest trailer for the film below.