Casting for Dune: The Sisterhood is officially heating up. Earlier this month, producers began filling out the call sheet for the upcoming prequel series on HBO Max. Now, five additional names are joining the Dune franchise’s first proper spinoff. Deadline brings word that Sarah-Sofie Boussnina, Shalom Brune-Franklin, Faoileann Cunningham, Aoife Hinds, and Chloe Lea have all booked key roles on the show.
The series takes place 10,000 years before Denis Villeneuve’s original Dune entry and aims to trace the history of the Bene Gesserit. However, not all of its characters are members of the titular sisterhood. For instance, Boussnina (The Colony, top left) will star as Princess Ynez, an “independent young princess” who struggles to live up to her responsibilities as the heir to the Golden Lion Throne. In the Dune universe, this throne is the official seat of power for House Corrino, which was once the Imperium’s ruling family.
Brune-Franklin (The Tourist, center left) is playing Mikaela, a “strong-willed Fremen woman” who serves the royal family. She also harbors a desire to visit the home planet she has “never” known. Cunningham (The Northman, not pictured) will play Sister Jen, an acolyte at the Bene Gesserit school. During her training, Jen is “fierce” and “unpredictable, but “rarely reveals her emotional core.”
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Hinds (Normal People, center right) has been cast as Sister Emeline, one of the school’s more “zealous” acolytes. She comes from a “long line of martyrs,” and also brings “fervent religion” to her studies. Finally, (Foundation, far right) will portray Lila, the school’s youngest acolyte who possesses “a deep empathy beyond her years.”
These latest cast members join Emily Watson and Shirley Henderson, who will headline The Sisterhood as Valya and Tula Harkonnen. Additionally, Indira Varma has a significant role in the spinoff as Empress Natalya. Diane Ademu-John and Alison Schapker are co-showrunning the series and will both serve as executive producers. Ademu-John is also the creator and writer of the show.
HBO Max still hasn’t announced a premiere date for Dune: The Sisterhood. Production is expected to begin in Hungary sometime in November.
Which of these characters are you most excited to meet when the series arrives? Let us know in the comment section below!
Recommended Reading: Sisterhood of Dune
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