Imagine taking one of the most epic sci-fi universes ever and reimagining it for a new generation—that’s exactly what Alison Schapker is doing with Dune: Prophecy. If you’re into Lost, Alias, or Charmed, chances are you’ve already seen some of her genius work. Now, she’s bringing her storytelling A-game to the legendary world of Frank Herbert’s Dune.
So, what makes this show a must-watch? For one, it’s not just about giant sandworms (though, yes, they’re iconic). Schapker dives deep into the Sisterhood of the Bene Gesserit—think badass women who’ve taken mind and body control to the next level. Plus, the show explores stunning new locations across the Dune universe, from icy planets to mysterious schools of power.
With HBO behind her and a cast led by legends like Emily Watson, Alison is blending jaw-dropping visuals with all the drama and intrigue we love. Whether you’re a Dune superfan or totally new to it, Dune: Prophecy promises to hit all the right notes.
In this exclusive Q&A, Alison spills on what it’s like creating such a massive project, how the show connects to today’s world (hello, AI and power struggles), and why you’ll be hooked from episode one.
Q: What drew you into the Dune universe, and why did you come onto this project?
I’ve always been a fan of Dune. I have a very strong memory of reading it as a teenager. It blew my mind. I then went into a career where I did a lot of science fiction and genre writing so when this opportunity to turn it into a television series arose it was a no-brainer.
Q: Yes you’ve worked with magical women before (writer and producer of Charmed), how does this align with or contrast with your resume so far?
Good genre to me is always based on characters that you relate to and a story that you can sink your teeth into. On top of that, you get to have the spectacle of world-building, or the wish fulfilment of powers. What’s very interesting about the Sisterhood and about the sisters on our show, who go on to found the sect of the Bene Gesserit is that they appear to have superpowers but actually, we’re talking 10,000 years from now and human evolution has continued. These are women pushing the boundaries of what the human brain and body can do.
Q: What did you draw on for inspiration?
Our project is rooted in the Sisterhood of Dune novel, which was written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J Anderson and the Great Schools of Dune trilogy. A lot of our characters and world-building come out of those novels and then we also tried to create a part of our story, which gave us room to do adaptation in conjunction with the Herbert estate that I think allowed us to create a narrative that was really suited for television.
Q: So how has creating for HBO brought a different element to the story?
It’s been such a tremendous privilege to be here supported by HBO, because I feel like the process behind the way they make television is incredibly artist friendly and allows for time to get things right. We had tremendous support as a production the whole way through to do our best work.
Q: How did you build some of those complex settings both planetary and even on some occasions, psychological locations within the minds of the characters?
We very much wanted to go to different corners of the Dune universe. Arrakis will always be a planet that exerts enormous pull because of the dependence of our universe on spice, which is only found on Arrakis. We are not locating our story there in season one, and we are more feeling the pull of Arrakis from afar. We’re exploring Salusa Secundus, which is our Imperial home planet, and Wallach IX, where the Sisterhood has its school and its institution. And we’re going to Lankiveil, which is the Harkonnen’s home planet, which is an icy planet. The pleasure of watching television is being transported somewhere new so it’s fun to explore this huge universe. There’s also a psychological component as Dune has a hallucinogenic vibe at times. We wanted to make sure that the mind was alive and that we could realise the psychological landscape of our characters, too.
Q: How did you build the look and feel of the show?
The sets that we built were substantial. We really didn’t want to put an actor in front of a green screen. We’re in built environments all the time or on actual locations, and I think you feel that in the show. They were some of the grandest sets that I’ve been on, and our production designer, Tom Meyer, did an incredible job of creating a world for the actors to be in that felt real. Take the sisterhood library. If you pulled the books off the shelves, they had actual Dune language in them and that was incredible to be immersed in. We have a visual effects team led by Michael Enriquez and Terron Pratt, who would extend those built environments in grounded and seamless ways, making you feel like you’re there. It was a collaboration between incredible artists.
Q: What were the priorities for you in terms of casting?
Well, it all started with Emily Watson coming in as Valya Harkonnen, which was an incredible dream come true for all of us, because she is just such an astounding actress and a true legend in the field. She and Olivia Williams are so magical on screen. Casting, for me, is a very intuitive thing. You have to look for a synergy between the actor and the role. Everyone, from the people who are very early in their career to the most veteran actors we have bring a specificity to their character, which is important in such a detailed saga like Dune. I feel so lucky to have the ensemble that we have, they are outstanding,
Q: It is such a deeply loved large complex story in a time when shows are made with second screens in mind i.e. easily digestible while also on a phone. Is it a challenge to make such layered narratives?
We were trying to thread a needle where we could have people enjoy it on multiple levels, so that, if you were new to Dune, these characters would be a great way into the world, and you could go for the ride, and you wouldn’t feel lost or confused. At the same time, we wanted people who knew Dune and have a wealth of knowledge to enjoy the narrative fully. So it was a bit of a tightrope. We didn’t dumb it down. There’s a lot of machinations happening behind the scenes, and it’s going to take time to really start to understand who people are and what they are really up to and we hope to do so in a way that doesn’t alienate anybody.
Q: Are there moral codes or allegories that you want people to take away from this?
One of the great things about science fiction is it forces you to think about your future. Dune questions power and the lengths people will go to. It also questions the stories that we’re told as a culture: what is truth and what is lies? Be wary of your leaders and question where people are coming from. Think of the roles of things like technology. Today we’re rushing headlong into new AI technology that’s going to revolutionize the world yet again in good ways and in bad ways. It’s certainly going to have high stakes. It’s relevant to where we are today as a planet.
https://osnplus.com/en-aeDune is now available to stream on OSN+.