Prophecy Casts Indian Superstar Tabu

Dune: Part Two was a hit, so while it’s a little surprising there’s been no official announcement on expected third movie Dune Messiah, here’s a consolation: the first update in awhile on Dune: Prophecy, the Bene Gesserit-centric prequel series (originally titled Dune: The Sisterhood) in the works at Max.

Indian superstar Tabu, whose work outside of Hindi films includes Life of Pi and The Namesake, has joined the cast in the recurring role of Sister Francesca. The character is described in Variety’s report as “strong, intelligent, and alluring, Sister Francesca leaves a lasting impression in her wake. Once a great love of the Emperor, her return to the palace strains the balance of power in the capital.”

It’s an encouraging bit of news for Dune: Prophecy, which has had a bumpy road amid a series of cast and director changes—though that’s not necessarily a knock against what the series will eventually be. It was first announced back in 2019, just before the entertainment world faced major schedule changes from the pandemic and then the Hollywood strikes. Just look at how well those delayed Dune feature films turned out!

Along with Tabu, the cast for Dune: Prophecy includes Emily Watson, Olivia Williams, Travis Fimmel, Johdi May, Mark Strong, Sarah-Sofie Boussnina, Josh Heuston, Chloe Lea, Jade Anouka, Faoileann Cunningham, Edward Davis, Aoife Hinds, Chris Mason, and Shalom Brune-Franklin. So far there’s no release date, but the series is heading to Max eventually.

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.