After playing some femme fatale’s in Game of Thrones and Obi-Wan Kenobi, it looks like Indira Varma is ready to sink her teeth into another fantasy/sci-fi property.
As per Deadline, Varma will be joining HBO Max’s Dune: The Sisterhood, and she will be playing Empress Natalya, described as, “a formidable royal who united thousands of worlds in her marriage to Emperor Corrino.” Besides Varma, other cast members for the show include Emily Watson (Chernobyl) and Shirley Henderson (Harry Potter).
Before you start wondering if anyone from the Dune films is going to be appearing on the show, it’s worth noting that Sisterhood will be a prequel, and will take place 10,000 years before Paul Atreides’ story. The synopsis reads:
The series will follow the Harkonnen Sisters as they combat forces that threaten the future of humankind, and establish the fabled sect known as the Bene Gesserit.
The series is also based on the novel Sisterhood of Dune which was written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. Diane Ademu-John will serve as creator and co-showrunner alongside Alison Schapker.
With the Dune franchise expected to end with the second film in 2023, I guess WB is moving the right direction, trying to adapt as many stories as it can while the boat is still afloat. I guess HBO Max, like Disney+, does provide an avenue for spinoffs that are not as expensive as theatrically released material, but still have some relevance to the story.
No release date has been announced for Dune: The Sisterhood, but Dune: Part Two is set to hit theaters Nov. 17, 2023.
