Dune: Prophecy season 2 expands with a higher episode count and multiple new cast members

Dune: Prophecy season 2 has officially entered production, and the show is getting a lot bigger - both in terms of episode count, and with a number of new cast members (via THR). For starters, Dune: Prophecy season 2 will run for eight episodes instead of six, a 33% increase. At the same time, the new season is enlisting actors from a number of A-list TV series.

The new cast members include Indira Varma, best known as Ellaria Sand in Game of Thrones; Ashley Walters, who was nominated for an Emmy for his performance in Adolescence; and Tom Hollander, who played the coy conman Quentin in The White Lotus season 2.

Dune: Prophecy is set 10,000 years before the events of the original Dune book series and its ongoing series of big budget movie adaptations helmed by auteur filmmaker Denis Villeneuve. The series focuses on the Harkonnen family (the nemeses of Dune protagonist Paul Atreides) and the foundation of the mysterious Bene Gesserit order.

Though Dune: Prophecy is meant as a prequel and companion piece to the hit films, GamesRadar+'s reviewer found the first season of the series to have "mixed results, occasionally offering up moments that stand up to Villeneuve's genius works – but largely falling short of its big screen counterparts."

The addition of more episodes and more characters to Dune: Prophecy season 2 seems to indicate that the series is planning to go even deeper into the history of its expansive sci-fi setting, which encompasses nearly two dozen novels, including creator Frank Herbert's six original books.

No premiere date for Dune: Prophecy season 2 has been announced. While we wait for more details, check out our picks for the 25 best shows on HBO Max to watch right now.