Dune’s prequel series ‘The Sisterhood’ has been plagued with issues since the onset. First, it lost its original co-showrunners. And after it hired two new ones… one of them left.
Now, it seems HBO is in trouble again, as lead actor Shirley Henderson and director Johan Renck have decided to part ways, too.
Johan Renck Is Leaving the Dune Universe
Last March, Deadline reported that Shirley Henderson, one of the lead actors for the prequel covering the origins of Bene Gesserit, was leaving Dune. She’s not alone, for Director Johan Renck, who was apparently in charge of the first two episodes, has decided to accompany her.
HBO Max had already announced that there was going to be a hiatus in the filming of the series, which is based on the novel by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. Now, it seems the sole showrunner will implement a few creative changes while the executive producer looks for a new director to tell the tale of the fabled sect.
A Troubled Schedule
The series, produced by Legendary Television, was initially announced on June 10, 2019, for HBO Max. The creator, Diane Ademu John, left the franchise before a hiatus that was planned to avoid filming in the winter. The network has shared the news that Johan Renck (who won two Emmys for his renowned series Chernobyl) has completed his work and is ready to move on.
We know that the show had already begun filming in Budapest. It’s believed that the reason behind Renck’s departure has to do with style. HBO seems to have something else in mind; a tone closer to that of the original Dune director Denis Villeneuve.
It’s not clear, at this point, if any of the material that Renck has shot will be used in the Sisterhood series. We can definitely expect significant rewrites – and it wouldn’t be a surprise to anyone if filming had to start again, considering actress Shirley Henderson has left as well.
About Dune the Sisterhood
The upcoming TV series is an offshoot of the Dune feature film, it takes place 10,000 years before Paul Atreides ascends, and focuses on the Bene Gesserit Order, an ancient organization operating behind ritual mysticism and “a group of women whose extraordinary mastery of body and mind allow them to expertly weave through the feudal politics and intrigue of The Imperium.“
The new show will follow the Harkonnen sisters as they combat forces that threaten humankind (in particular, the talented and ambitious acolyte Valya Harkonnen, played by Emily Watson, and Tula Harkonnen – who was to be played by Shirley Henderson.
The Sisterhood cast also features Faoileann Cunningham as Sister Jen, Chris Mason as Keiran Atreides, Aoife Hinds as Sister Emeline, Chloe Lea as Lila, and Indira Varma as Empress Natalya.
