Dune: Prophecy’s First Trailer Reveals the Birth of the Bene Gesserit

Given my natural dislike of prequels, I wasn’t initially interested in Dune: Prophecy, which takes place 10,000 years before the birth of Paul Atreides, and delves into the origins of the enigmatic Bene Gesserit.

In the Dune universe, the Bene Gesserit is a quasi-religious sisterhood that works with the Great Houses of the Galactic Empire as advisors and counselors. In secret, however, they conduct a massive breeding program in the hopes of creating the Kwisatz Haderach, a supreme being that could lead humanity under Bene Gesserit rule.

But after watching Dune: Part Two, and seeing how the Bene Gesserit’s plans have come to fruition — though not necessarily in the way they envisioned — I now want to see how they began. Which is precisely what Dune: Prophecy promises. The upcoming series stars Emily Watson, Olivia Williams, Mark Strong, Travis Fimmel, and Tabu, and was inspired by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson’s Sisterhood of Dune.

Dune: Prophecy will premier on Max later this year.