HBO Max Prequel 'Dune' Series Loses Director, Star

HBO Max's return to Arrakis takes a step back. The prequel series "Dune" has lost both its director and one of its stars, IndieWire has confirmed. This news does not affect the release of "Dune: Part Two" by Denis Villeneuve this fall.

Johan Renck, who was to direct the first two episodes of the series, and Shirley Henderson, who was to play one of the lead roles, both left the series after production began in November. Production on the series, currently under the working title "Dune: The Sisterhood", has reportedly been suspended until replacements are found. A statement from HBO Max attributed the change to an "effort to create the best series possible".

"As 'Dune: The Sisterhood' has entered a pre-scheduled hiatus, creative changes are being made to production in an effort to create the best series possible and stay true to the source material", an HBO Max the spokesperson said in a statement. “Johan Renck has completed his work on the series and a new director will be hired; by mutual agreement, Johan pursues other projects. Additionally, Shirley Henderson will leave the show and no longer play Tula Harkonnen."

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This isn't the first major change to the sci-fi program's creative team; Diane Ademu-John, who wrote the pilot's script, stepped down as co-showrunner ahead of production, although Alison Schapker will remain on deck as the show's sole showrunner and Ademu-John will still be the showrunner. executive producer. The series was first ordered to series by HBO Max in June 2019, with Denis Villeneuve, the director of 2021's "Dune" and its upcoming sequel, attached to direct the first episode. The French-Canadian filmmaker left the project a few months later, although he still remains attached as executive producer. Additionally, Jon Spaihts and Dana Calvo were attached to co-host the series several times before leaving the project.

"The Sisterhood" is a prequel to Villeneuve's adaptation of Frank Herbert's classic science fiction novel "Dune", and is set 10,000 years before the events depicted in the first 2021 film. It follows the Harkonnen Sisters, a clan fighting against forces threatening the future of humanity, and the establishment of the legendary sect known as the Bene Gesserit. Besides Henderson, Emily Watson, Indira Varma, Sarah-Sofie Boussnina, Shalom Brune Franklin, Faoileann Cunningham, Aoife Hinds, Chloe Lea, Travis Fimmel, Mark Strong, Jade Anouka and Chris Mason are also on the bill.

Meanwhile, the return trip from Villeneuve to "Dune" is much smoother; The "second part" of its adaptation will hit theaters in November, with Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Zendaya, Charlotte Rampling and Javier Bardem joined by newcomers Florence Pugh, Austin Butler, Christopher Walken, Léa Seydoux and Tim Blake Nelson.

Deadline was the first to report the creative team's reshuffle on the "Dune" prequel series.

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