Showrunner of Dune prequel series confirms you don't need to have seen the movies to watch: "This can be a point of entry"

Dune: Prophecy showrunner Alison Schapker says you don't need to have seen Denis Villeneuve's films to enjoy the upcoming prequel series. She's confident, even, that you could go into the new TV show completely cold, with it acting as a good "point of entry" to the sci-fi franchise.

"You don't need to have read the books, and you don't even need to see Denis's films, or David Lynch's Dune, or other Dune television series," she tells SFX magazine in the new issue, which features Wicked on the cover and hits newsstands on November 1. "This can be a point of entry if that's how you're approaching Dune. If you're a Dune super-fan, I also think it's really fun to come to this with all the knowledge."

Schapker is a self-confessed 'Dune super-fan', having read Frank Herbert's 1965 novel in the attic of her family home as a child. "Very few books have that sort of Proustian memory rush," she says. "I really feel like it was a mind-blowing book to read, so I have these sense memories of reading it that stand out in the way that not all sci-fi books do."

Not a subscriber to SFX? Then head on over here to get the latest issues sent directly to your home/device!

"It does feel a bit like my career has kind of led up to this," Schapker continues. "Going back to Alias, I always enjoyed delving into worlds and universes. I think genre and science fiction are some of the most exciting, imaginative spaces to be in as a fan and also as a writer. So when I heard that Dune: Prophecy was happening and that I could be a part of it, I didn't ask any other questions. Really, at that point, it was just an undeniable opportunity for me."

Set 10,000 years before Timothée Chalamet's Paul Atreides was dubbed the Lisan al-Gaib in Dune and Dune: Part Two, the show "follows sisters Valya and Tula Harkonnen as they combat forces that threaten the future of humanity, and establish the fabled sect known as the Bene Gesserit." Emily Watson and Olivia Williams take on the lead roles, with Jodhi May, Travis Fimmel, Josh Heuston, Mark Strong and Bollywood star Tabu make up some of the supporting cast.

While you don't need to do any homework prior to hitting play, star Jessica Barden did tease that the spin-off will delve into the dastardly beginnings of the Harkonnens, who go on to threaten Paul, House Atreides, and the Fremen of Arrakis in the big screen flicks.

"I think it's gonna blow the audience away learning so much about that family and that history," she says.

Dune: Prophecy releases on November 17 in the US, and the following day in the UK. Read more in the latest issue of SFX magazine, which features Wicked on the cover and will be available from Friday, November 1. 

For even more from SFX, sign up to our newsletter, which delivers all the latest exclusives straight to your inbox. Check out the covers below...