Dune: Prophecy spin-off series renewed for Season 2 as massive plot twist airs in season finale

A blockbuster series starring an Aussie actor that drew in millions of viewers worldwide has dropped a major bombshell.

Warning – Contain spoilers to the Season 1 finale of Dune: Prophecy

It’s not always easy adapting a blockbuster film franchise into a television series, but the creatives behind Dune: Prophecy have successfully pulled it off.

So much so that the sci-fi series, which is set more than 10,000 years before Paul Atreides (played by Timothée Chalamet) began his ascent to the throne in the Denis Villeneuve-directed Dune films, has now been renewed for Season 2.

No surprises, really, given the first episode of the highly anticipated HBO series – which airs locally on BINGE – drew in 15 million viewers worldwide.

Dune: Prophecy stars (from left to right) Aussie actor Travis Fimmel, Emily Watson, Mark Strong and Olivia Williams. Picture: Binge

In a press conference ahead of Monday’s season finale, showrunner Alison Schapker excitedly announced that the show would be back for Season 2.

“We’re so thrilled and grateful for their support, for our partners at Legendary, and most of all that we get to keep working with these incredible people in front of and behind the camera and get to keep telling this story,” Schapker said.

The prequel series stars Emily Watson and Olivia Williams as Valya and Tula Harkonnen, respectively – powerful sisters who control a secret organisation of women known as the Bene Gesserit who quietly but forcefully shape events throughout the galactic empire.

Stream Dune: Prophecy on BINGE, available on Hubbl.

Watson (left) and Williams play the powerful Harkonnen sisters. Picture: Binge

The exclusive sect have mystical physical and mental abilities to influence politics and achieve their desired goals, often manipulating people with the use of their commanding voice.

Both Watson and Williams are in their 50s and, for them, it was both a challenge and a pleasure to lead the cast and set the tone throughout production.

“It was a sort of pleasure. There was a pleasure in – Emily and I’ve talked about this before – sort of leading a company,” Williams, 56, said in the press conference.

“But it’s always a bit of a shock because I am a younger sister, and I always think of myself as the youngest person on the set, and yet, have all these young actors coming up and going, ‘It’s so amazing to work with you.’”

Williams says it was a “pleasure” to lead the cast by example. Picture: Binge

Watson agrees that her and Williams’ experience helped on set. Picture: Binge

“The sort of euphemism was ‘experienced’. ‘You’re so experienced.’ What they really mean is, ‘You’re so old.’ But what was a real joy, and I know Emily agrees with me, was to kind of set the tone for how the company acted and treated each other and were treated, and it was a really good cast and crew atmosphere on set.”

Watson, 57, agreed: “Yeah, absolutely. It’s a real pleasure to have that opportunity because you don’t always get that. We were number one and number two on the call sheet, and if you don’t act out, then nobody else can, basically.”

Emily Watson, Travis Fimmel and Olivia Williams attend the world premiere of Dune: Prophecy at the Lincoln Centre in NYC on October 30. Picture: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images

A massive plot twist on Monday’s season finale rocks their sibling characters and the Bene Gesserit, paving the way for a disorderly Season 2.

Indeed, viewers will be shocked at a big reveal regarding the relationships between the sisters and their mysterious and murderous rival Desmond Hart, a soldier of Emperor Javicco Corrino (Mark Strong) whose psychic abilities match that of the Harkonnen sisters.

As it turns out, there is a reason Desmond – who is played by Aussie actor Travis Fimmel – has similar powers: In the finale, he is revealed to be the son of Tula Harkonnen.

Fimmel plays the mysterious Desmond Hart on the show. Picture: Binge

“Well, I didn’t get the fact that Travis Fimmel is my son is a source of constant joy and amazement,” Williams laughed at the press conference.

Added Watson of their characters: “It’s sort of [when] we started out, we had everything just how we wanted it at the beginning. And it’s been sort of descent from there.”

“I think there’s a conflict there because she knows that he’s Tula’s son and the betrayal of that is very painful. But the part of Valya that is in a way the strongest is already going, ‘I saw his memory, and I saw that somebody is using him, and I want to find out who that is.’ That’s what I want to know.”

Fimmel, 45, isn’t the only Australian star on Dune: Prophecy. The series also features Aussies Shalom Brune-Franklin, Brendan Cowell and Heartbreak High actor Josh Heuston.

Dune: Prophecy is now streaming on BINGE, available on Hubbl