*“Dune: Prophecy” executive producer Alison Schapker is taking viewers inside the intricate lore and mysticism of Frank Herbert’s iconic world with a new HBO series.
The story is set 10,000 years before Paul Atreides’ rise in the epic novel, and centers on two Harkonnen sisters facing powerful forces that threaten humanity’s survival while laying the groundwork for the iconic Bene Gesserit order. Schapker brings a wealth of experience to the project, with an impressive producing portfolio that includes “Altered Carbon,” “Westworld,” “Scandal,” “Almost Human,” “Fringe,” “Lost,” and “Alias.” In an exclusive, Schapker told us that her vision promises to breathe new life into this legendary saga while honoring its complex themes and timeless appeal.
“I think it was important to us consciously the whole way through that we wanted to create a story that would both be exciting for Dune fans, rewarding for Dune fans, that there were things that they would recognize and enjoy and get a charge out of,” Schapker told us. “We’re very respectful of the Dune universe. We wanted to create characters and a story that, if this was your way in to the Dune universe, you would have an amazing time and also be excited and be able to discover the Dune lore through our characters in this show.”
“Dune” is deeply rooted in themes of power, legacy, loyalty, and destiny— so we asked Schapker how are these explored through the perspective of the sisterhood.
“I think the sisterhood has a very interesting and complex relationship to power. And even though they’re not a religious institution by any stretch, I do think of the Vatican as kind of a model or in the sense of like, this is an institution that has women acting as truth sayers around halls of power,” Schapker explained.
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“They have the ability to tell truth from lies. They’re almost like human lie detectors. They’re in on all these negotiations because powerful people want somebody with them who can tell them when they’re being lied to or when they’re being deceived or when something’s truthful,” she continued.
“So on the one hand, they have access to a tremendous amount of information, and they’re advising leaders, and they’re shaping stories by sort of declaring things to be truthful or not truthful. And on the other hand, they’re also teaching kids. They’re also having relationships with people. They also take all that information they get, and they have a…covert arm of the sisterhood where they’re embedded in there,” Schapker added.
“They’re in the shadows. They’re next to power. They’re public. They’re private. They have a lot of layers. The fun thing about them is the more you learn about them, I think they retain that intrigue and that mystique that they have 10,000 years later when they’re just showing up in their outfits and shaping the whole narrative,” Schapker said.
“We are going behind the veil to see who they are as women and their specific relationships to that institution.”
Watch our full interview with Alison Schapker below.
The six-episode season of “Dune: Prophecy” debuted November 17 on HBO and is available to stream on Max. New episodes debut weekly on Sundays.
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