The Dune prequel series Dune: The Sisterhood is still underway at HBO, with the series adding Emily Watson and Shirley Henderson to its cast, according to a recent report from Variety.
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The two actors will join the project as some of the first cast members for the series since it was confirmed to be in development in 2019. According to the report, Watson will play Valya Harkonnen, while Henderson will play Tula Harkonnen, two sisters who rise to power in the Sisterhood, a secret organization in the world of Dune that eventually goes on to become the Bene Gesserit, a powerful group that uses its influence and power to try and keep the world in a good and prosperous place.
Emily Watson’s career in Hollywood is a long and successful one, with the actress having been nominated for two Best Actress Oscars for her roles in 1996’s Breaking the Waves and 1998’s Hilary and Jackie. Most recently, Watson has also starred in the upcoming A24 film God’s Creatures, as well as the critically acclaimed 2019 HBO miniseries Chernobyl.
Shirley Henderson is best known for her role as Moaning Myrtle in the Harry Potter franchise, but has also starred in a number of other films since, including 2017’s Okja, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (as the voice of Babu Frik), and most recently 2022’s See How They Run.
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Dune: The Sisterhood will be set in the universe of Frank Herbert’s epic Dune novel series, and take place 10,000 years prior to the events of the original Dune book. The series is told through the eyes of a mysterious order of women known as the Bene Gesserit. Armed with extraordinary abilities, this group of women weave through the feudal politics of Dune, pursuing their own plans that ultimately lead them to the enigmatic planet Arrakis, and the events of Denis Villeneuve’s Dune films.
