Fans didn't just imagine this one coming - they've been waiting for it. HBO's Dune: Prophecy has rolled cameras on Season Two, and there's a little buzz on set already. New faces. Big locations. Eight episodes on the way.
Season two is officially underway
Production has started on the eight-episode second season, with filming in Hungary, Jordan, and Spain. It's a wide canvas, which fits the scope of this story.
The series arrives off a strong first run that picked up four Emmy nominations this year. That momentum matters - it tells us the show didn't just land; it stuck.
Fresh faces joining the cast
Three notable additions step in this season. And there's a twist for one of them.
- Indira Varma (movies and tv series) (Coldwater, The Night Manager, Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One) - she was originally set to play Empress Natalya in Season 1 before the series changed course.
- Ashley Walters (movies and tv series) (Top Boy, Adolescence, Bullet Boy)
- Tom Hollander (movies and tv series) (HBO's The White Lotus, The Night Manager, Feud: Capote vs. The Swans)
Who's back
- Emily Watson (movies and tv series) as Valya Harkonnen
- Olivia Williams (movies and tv series) as Tula Harkonnen
- Travis Fimmel (movies and tv series) as Desmond Hart
- Jodhi May (movies and tv series) as Empress Natalya
- Sarah-Sofie Boussnina (movies and tv series) as Princess Ynez Corrino
- Josh Heuston (movies and tv series) as Constantine Corrino
- Chloe Lea (movies and tv series) as Sister Lila
- Jade Anouka (movies and tv series) as Sister Theodosia
- Faoileann Cunningham (movies and tv series) as Sister Jen
- Edward Davis (movies and tv series) as Harrow Harkonnen
- Aoife Hinds (movies and tv series) as Sister Emeline
- Chris Mason (movies and tv series) as Keiran Atreides
- Shalom Brune-Franklin (movies and tv series) as Mikaela
- Jessica Barden (movies and tv series) as Young Valya Harkonnen
- Emma Canning (movies and tv series) as Young Tula Harkonnen
- Yerin Ha (movies and tv series) as Young Kasha Jinjo
- Barbara Marten (movies and tv series) as Sister Avila
- Tessa Bonham Jones (movies and tv series) as Lady Shannon Richese
What the story's tackling
Set 10,000 years before Paul Atreides, Dune: Prophecy follows two Harkonnen sisters fighting forces that threaten humanity's future. Their choices shape the order that becomes the Bene Gesserit - the quiet power that echoes through every Dune story.
If you're new to the source, the series draws from the universe created by author Frank Herbert. Big legacy. Even bigger expectations.
The human angle
Indira Varma returning after the early reshuffle is an interesting beat. Cast changes usually signal a show still finding its center - and sometimes that's how it gets better. Maybe it's timing. Maybe it's fit. But her presence raises the ceiling here.
And those locations? Hungary, Jordan, Spain. You can almost feel the heat of Arrakis in those dunes and the cool stone of old-world corridors. That texture matters on screen.
Creative team and credits
Alison Schapker returns as showrunner and executive producer. Executive producers also include Jordan Goldberg, Mark Tobey (movies and tv series), Kevin Lau (movies and tv series), Monica Owusu-Breen, Matthew King (movies and tv series), Scott Z. Burns, and Jon Spaihts (movies and tv series), alongside Brian Herbert (movies and tv series), Byron Merritt, and Kim Herbert for the Frank Herbert (movies and tv series) estate. Kevin J. Anderson (movies and tv series) serves as co-producer.
The series is co-produced by HBO and Legendary Television, with Legendary also producing the film franchise. Dune: Prophecy is inspired by the novel Sisterhood of Dune by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson.
Indira Varma, Ashley Walters, and Tom Hollander.
One more thing
There's a short tease on social if you want a feel for the mood right now. Here's the official post from HBO Max: watch on Instagram.
What this means for viewers: more of the political chess and spiritual stakes that pulled people into Season 1, now with a cast that can flex in different directions. And if those shoot locations are any hint, Season 2's scope won't feel small. Not even a little.
