Dune HBO Max Prequel Series Loses Director And Star, Production Paused

The upcoming Dune prequel TV show has run into some issues. Deadline reports that the show, Dune: The Sisterhood (working title), is recasting roles and changing directors.

Johan Renck (Chernobyl) was lined up to direct the first two episodes but has reportedly now dropped out. Production is now said to be on hold as a replacement is found. Additionally, one of the show's leads, Shirley Henderson, is leaving the series. Henderson was tapped to play Tula Harkonnen, and the role is now being recast, according to the report.

Before all of this happened, series creator, showrunner, and writer Diane Ademu-John quit the series. Alison Schapker joined the production as its new showrunner.

A spokesperson for HBO Max confirmed to Deadline that The Sisterhood is undergoing a "pre-scheduled hiatus" with "some creative changes being made" to help give the show the best chance to "stay true to the source material."

Deadline's sources said Renck's "auteur approach" did not match up with HBO's vision for the show. The report added that Schapker and her team faced pressure to deliver rewrites on an advanced timeline, which might have contributed to the decision to pause production on the show for now.

As for Henderson's decision to leave The Sisterhood, Deadline's sources said the production delay is "wreaking havoc on actors' schedules."

2021's Dune movie was directed by Denis Villeneuve and performed well enough--during the pandemic--to encourage the studio to greenlight a sequel due for release in November 2023. The TV series is set thousands of years before the events of the films and tells the story of the Harkonnen sisters.

In the world of video games, a Dune MMO called Awakening is now in development.