Dune prequel series sets Chernobyl director to helm first two episodes

Zendaya in Dune — (Image credit: Warner Bros.)

Dune: The Sisterhood, the upcoming prequel series to the sci-fi epic, has set a new director for its first two episodes.

Johan Renck will now direct the series pilot, which was originally set to be helmed by Dune director Denis Villeneuve, as well as episode 2. He's also on board as an executive producer. Diane Ademu-John is on board as writer and showrunner – she has previously been an executive producer on shows like The Haunting of Bly Manor, Empire, and The Originals.

The series will take place 10,000 years before the events of Dune and will follow the Harkonnen sisters (ancestors of Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, who was played by Stellan Skarsgård in Villeneuve's movie) as they take on forces that threaten the future of humankind and form the powerful sect known as the Bene Gesserit.

In the 2021 movie, Paul's (Timothée Chalamet) mother, Lady Jessica Atreides, played by Rebecca Ferguson, is a member of the Bene Gesserit and has mental and physical abilities that she passes on to Paul.

Renck directed all episodes of the HBO miniseries Chernobyl, which earned him the Emmy for Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series. He's also directed episodes of shows like Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead, and Vikings, as well as music videos for artists including David Bowie, Madonna, and Beyoncé. Next up for Renck is Spaceman, a sci-fi movie for Netflix starring Adam Sandler, Carey Mulligan, and Paul Dano.

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