The first season of “Dune: Prophecy” ended Sunday with some jaw-dropping revelations and plenty of extra questions. The HBO prequel sequence, set 10,000 years earlier than the occasions of Denis Villeneuve’s movies “Dune” and “Dune: Part Two,” wove a posh internet of plots throughout six episodes, culminating in an extended finale that reunited the Valya sisters Harkonnen (Emily Watson) and Tula Harkonnen (Olivia Williams).
In the tumultuous episode, flashbacks reveal that Tula gave delivery to a secret son, who seems to be actually Desmond Hart (Travis Fimmel). We additionally study that Valya earned management of the Sisterhood, the ancestors of the Bene Gesserit, via mass homicide.
“You need to really feel like sufficient solutions have been given,” showrunner Alison Schapker explains of the finale’s objectives. “That you took a journey within the first season and discovered issues. Then, on the finish, every thing modified and also you perceive who these characters are, what’s between them, what’s at stake and what’s the fact in a brand new means.”
The finale concludes on Arrakis, the place Valya has eloped with Princess Ynez (Sarah-Sofie Boussnina) and Keiran Atreides (Chris Mason) following the demise of Emperor Javicco Corrino (Mark Strong). It is now clear that Desmond’s powers don’t come from sandworms, as he claims, however from one other mysterious drive.
“It appeared very becoming that, after being haunted by Arrakis, Valya would return to the place all of it started,” says Schapker. “It will likely be actually fascinating to see what he discovers now that he is chasing a hidden hand.”
Alison Schapker, showrunner of HBO’s “Dune: Prophecy.”
(Luca Fontana)
Schapker, who joined the prequel sequence in 2022, drew on her in depth profession engaged on reveals like “Alias,” “Fringe,” “The Flash” and “Westworld” as she and the writers sculpted the episodes. She admits to feeling some stress adapting and increasing the beloved materials from Frank Herbert’s “Dune” novels, however she’s happy with how the forged and crew introduced the universe to the small display.
“It’s an enormous world to start out from,” says Schapker. “People’s expectations have been, rightfully so, particular and dedicated, and I’m so blissful we received to inform this story.”
Here, in a dialog edited for readability and size, Schapker discusses the main points of the “Dune: Prophecy” finale, in addition to his hopes for what’s to return after HBO introduced Thursday that it might renew the present for an additional season.
What’s your response to the concept of getting a second season and is there something you may tease?
I’m thrilled that “Dune: Prophecy” has achieved success and that we will proceed to inform the story of Valya and Tula Harkonnen and the rise of the Bene Gesserit. The alternative to delve deeper into these characters and their nook of the “Dune” universe is one thing I recognize. I’m grateful to everybody who watched and invested in our sequence and made this second season occur. Our writers room is already up and working and I could not be extra enthusiastic about what comes subsequent.
Did your group have entry to designs from the “Dune” movies, for instance, for the sandworm we see within the finale?
No. But Denis was very beneficiant. One factor we felt, and Legendary and HBO agreed, was that we wished to be within the film universe. So with the worms, that are the traditional gods of Arrakis and these historical creatures, we wished to make use of the worm idea that we have seen within the movies. And Denis was very supportive of that call. But it isn’t like we took his information and used them. We needed to make it ourselves. We actually wished to be formidable within the look of the present, and that took a whole lot of effort. It’s onerous to try this on a TV price range and TV schedule, irrespective of how beneficiant and supportive the studio is.
What was crucial factor to do thematically within the finale?
We knew we wished to reunite Valya and Tula. They anchored the plot on two separate planets for the season. But it was actually necessary to carry them collectively in an explosive means, and I knew what three-act construction we wished to do it with.
Did you all the time assume Desmond was Tula’s son?
Yes, completely.
In the tumultuous season finale, flashbacks reveal that Tula gave delivery to a secret son, who seems to be Desmond Hart (Travis Fimmel).
(HBO)
How does Tula know the place her son is and what his title is?
He is aware of it is on Salusa Secundus. She lands within the spaceport and hears the whispers of her ancestors telling her that Valya is close by and seems to be the place she is. I do not assume she knew when she landed on the spaceport or thought, “I’ll meet him on the spaceport.” It was a little bit of a collision course. He sees Valya with him and I believe he understands.
Desmond is just not within the books. What did you need to obtain with that storyline?
It’s very highly effective within the “Dune” universe when a Harkonnen and an Atreides join, and that is actually a part of the longer story we need to inform. I do not need to speak an excessive amount of. But you see Valya is saying, “This youngster has a lot potential. It might change worlds. He has that charismatic potential that makes him a extremely highly effective determine. Valya desires to use the scenario and Tula begins to really feel that nothing good will come of them shaping her life. The query turns into: If they don’t seem to be the one ones who determine it out, who else noticed it and the way and why was it weaponized? This provides us extra inquiries to information us into the longer term.
Did you all the time plan to have flashbacks all through the complete season?
Yes, and it is robust with six (episodes). The prologue was a flashback and I nearly wished to return full circle. I used to be excited to start out the finale the identical means the prologue began, however then add a brand new layer to it and proceed the story in a means that actually understands the previous. It appeared necessary to know the circumstances of Desmond’s conception and what he got here from, so episode 3 was a deep dive with the youthful interval to set that desk for hopefully the finale to return. You additionally needed to perceive that there was a secret among the many Sisterhood this whole time.
It is actually stunning to find that younger Valya and her followers killed so many members of the Sisterhood to rise to energy.
There is blood on his palms. The issues Desmond has been telling Valya all season change into very true. She got here to energy in a violent means. Valya would clarify why this was mandatory and I really feel empathy for her choices. The coronary heart of the present is discussing how far we’d get within the current if we actually believed we have been defending the longer term. I do not assume Valya killed them for pleasure. I believe she felt cornered by Dorotea and her followers.
Valya (Emily Watson) “rose to energy in a violent means,” Schapker says.
(HBO)
Why do you assume the acolytes are so fast to observe Dorotea as she reemerges in Lila?
It’s a terrifying revelation that there is a mass grave on the coronary heart of the Sisterhood, they usually haven’t any context for understanding it proper now apart from what Dorothea is telling them. You see Jen struggling a bit bit with how you can course of this. I do not assume it is throughout, anyway, however Dorotea picks up the place she left off. And she was a fanatic. “Dune” is a extremely large world. It has a whole lot of gamers and there are characters that I really feel like I’ve large plans for and simply set the desk within the first season. Like all these acolytes. We’re specializing in them for a purpose, proper? The journey that they’re taking may be very important to the story.
Overall, how a lot have been you in a position to get out of the books and the way a lot did you invent?
The characters and settings are within the books, so we have been positively impressed by the books and in some locations we tailored and extrapolated them in another way, however we tried to remain within the spirit of what was specified by the books. Numerous the issues about Tula, Desmond and Valya within the current are issues we developed along with the Herbert property. I’m actually happy with the story between Valya and Tula and the way it will finish. I’ve been actually moved by the place we have include them, and I believe there’s a whole lot of prospects to proceed.
How did the Herbert property become involved?
They learn scripts. We might ask them questions. They would possibly ask us questions. They have been into what we have been doing. We have all the time appreciated their contributions. It was a supportive working relationship. What I appreciated was that it did not cease us from creating. I felt like we have been in a position to do the work of adapting and translating the story right into a medium in a means that we have been excited to do, however all the time from a spot of deep respect. The most daunting, but in addition most fun, a part of the live performance was being within the “Dune” sandbox, so to talk.
Has Denis seen the present?
I have no idea. I believe Denis may be very targeted on what he’s doing for movies. But I do know he plans to do it and I hope to have the ability to speak about it someday.
You have labored on many reveals on the planet of science fiction and fantasy. What do you want about the sort of storytelling?
I like his creativeness. I like the way in which he builds the world. I like having to consider all these particulars. There’s a lot room for creativity and marvel and scope if you may make the human story work, which is crucial factor to me.
Before “Dune: Prophecy,” you labored on remaining season of “Westworld.” Were there plans for extra episodes if it hadn’t been cancelled?
I positively really feel like Jonathan (Nolan) and Lisa (Joy) have an finish to the story that has but to be informed. The world works in mysterious methods, and if I might see that finish at some point, I’d be actually excited. Working on “Westworld” was one other studying expertise for me and a narrative that I believe is changing into increasingly comprehensible and current.
You additionally labored on “Alias,” one other present with sturdy ladies on the forefront and far-reaching.
What a present it was firstly of my profession. I’m all the time grateful that I grew up within the community age since you actually must dwell in reveals for an extended time frame. I labored for 3 years on “Alias”. It was a lot enjoyable. I additionally actually appreciated the story. JJ (Abrams) had a really dynamic and inventive room. It was a present that was coming to do extra on the small display than had been accomplished earlier than, and JJ did not actually restrict us.
Do you see something in frequent in all of the reveals you’ve got labored on?
Something that I completely attempt for is discovering a technique to floor issues within the character in order that emotionally you’re feeling such as you’ve watched one thing that is smart to you on a human stage, however on the similar time, I prefer to go to work and take into consideration issues advanced and fascinating. I discover that working in science fiction has allowed me to not solely take into consideration individuals, which I like doing, but in addition to consider a few of these extra summary concepts, like what’s going to the creation of synthetic intelligence carry? It’s been actually rewarding in most of the tasks I’ve accomplished.
