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Dune Prequel Spinoff Show Update Shared By Denis Villeneuve

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Director Denis Villeneuve shares an update for the Dune prequel spinoff show The Sisterhood and reveals his involvement with the project. Villeneuve launched the sci-fi epic franchise with the 2021 adaptation of Frank Herbert's novel, which chronicles the journey of Paul Atreides and his noble family. They venture to the desert planet of Arrakis under orders to be the new feudalist rulers. Shortly after arrival, the House Atreides find themselves in the midst of a war for control of the planet, home to the galaxy's most valuable resource known as Spice, with former rulers House Harkonnen and its native populus, the Fremen.

Dune: The Sisterhood was announced by Legendary Television early in the film's development cycle as a prequel spinoff show for HBO Max. The series will be set years before the first Dune and revolve around the Bene Gesserit, the mysterious order of women with superhuman abilities who work to direct humanity on an enlightened path. Doctor Strange alum Jon Spaihts was originally set to pen the script for episode 1 of the series, while Dana Calvo would serve as showrunner and Villeneuve would direct, though Spaihts would depart to focus on Dune: Part Two while Diane Ademu-John took over as the Dune prequel series showrunner.

Related: How Many Dune Movies Will There Be? Every Possible Sequel & Spinoff

While speaking with Deadline at the PGA Awards, Villeneuve shared a Dune prequel spinoff show update. The director confirmed that the series is "moving forward" but noted that it is a "work in progress." Villeneuve also revealed he has no oversight over The Sisterhood and is currently keeping his focus on Dune: Part Two, saying "we'll see what happens" in regards to the future.

Lady Jessica staring at the camera with text all over her face and the wall in Dune (2021).

Though Villeneuve's confirmation that the Dune prequel spinoff show is still in the works isn't very different from Spaihts' recent comments similarly confirming it was still "alive and well," it is nonetheless a positive assurance for those eager to see the series move forward. It's also interesting to note that Villeneuve stated he is not overseeing the development on The Sisterhood, instead electing to focus on development for the highly anticipated Dune sequel and other future franchise plans. While leaving the show's development to the showrunner is understandable, his latest comments seemingly point to Villeneuve no longer being set to direct the Dune prequel series' pilot.

That being said, with Dune: The Sisterhood clearly still in the writing stages and Villeneuve aiming to film Dune: Part Two this summer, the opportunity is still open for the four-time Oscar nominee to helm the prequel spinoff show's episode 1. Should The Sisterhood conclude its writing this year and production on the feature sequel move smoother than its predecessor, it would seem likely Villeneuve's schedule would open up for him to direct at least one episode of the HBO Max project sometime in 2023. In the meantime, Villeneuve's Dune franchise launcher is currently available to stream on HBO Max.

More: Everything We Know About Dune's HBO Max Prequel

Source: Deadline

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