Tabu is cast as Sister Francesca in the upcoming Dune: Prophecy series. It is a spin-off of Denis Villeneuve’s blockbuster Dune movies.
Tabu has been cast in a recurring role in the Max streaming series Dune: Prophecy. It is a prequel/spin-off to director Denis Villeneuve’s billion-dollar-grossing Dune film series. The show has been in development since before the pandemic. It was earlier titled Dune: The Sisterhood.
According to a Variety report, Tabu will play a character named Sister Francesca in the show. It is based on the novel Sisterhood of Dune, by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson.
The film follows Paul Atreides’ journey from a wronged aristocrat to a vengeful messianic figure. The show is a prequel, taking place thousands of years before the events depicted in Villeneuve’s films.
The origin story of the Bene Gesserit clan, a group of women who receive years of mental and physical training to acquire superhuman abilities that cause them to be viewed with suspicion by outsiders, is told in Dune: Prophecy.
However, they subtly affect society and politics. Sister Francesca has been described as “strong, intelligent, and alluring; she 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.”
Tabu will join Emily Watson, Olivia Williams, Jodhi May, and others on the show. Its logline reads, “Set within the expansive universe of Dune, created by acclaimed author Frank Herbert, and 10,000 years before the ascension of Paul Atreides, Dune: Prophecy follows two Harkonnen sisters as they combat forces that threaten the future of humankind and establish the fabled sect that will become known as the Bene Gesserit.”
Jon Spaihts and Dana Calvo set up the show originally. A few years later, Diane Ademu-John took Spaihts’ place. Filming soon got underway after Johan Renck, the director of Chernobyl, was brought in to helm the first two episodes. Creative differences led to the departure of both Renck and Ademu-John from the series. Alison Schapker was brought on as the only showrunner, and Anna Foerster was slated to direct several episodes.