HBO Max recently announced the new additions to the cast of the new series Dune: The Sisterhood. According to Deadline, the actors joining the cast are Mark Strong (Temple, Kingsman: The Golden Circle), Jade Anouka (His Dark Materials, The Drowning), and Chris Mason (Broadchurch, Riverdale), who will star opposite leads Emily Watson (God’s Creatures, Chernobyl), Shirley Henderson (See How They Run, Harry Potter), and Travis Fimmel (Vikings, One Way).
As for the roles the actors will be playing, it has been announced that Strong will be playing Emperor Javicco Corrino who is described as a man from a great line of war-time Emperors who has been called upon to govern the Imperium and manage a fragile peace. Indira Varma (Game of Thrones, Obi-Wan Kenobi) has been cast as Empress Natalya, who is described as a formidable royal who united thousands of worlds in her marriage to Emperor Corrino.
According to Deadline, Anouka will play Sister Theodosia, a talented and ambitious acolyte at the Sisterhood but also hiding a dangerous secret about her past. She will be joining Faoileann Cunningham (The Northman) who will be playing Sister Jen; Aoife Hinds (The Long Call, Normal People) as Sister Emeline; and Chloe Lea (Foundation, The Dumping Ground) as Lila, who will also be playing acolytes from the Sisterhood.
Finally, Mason will be playing Keiran Atreides, who is described as a swordmaster from a Great House and whose ambition to live up to his family name is disrupted when he realizes he has an unexpected relationship with a member of the royal family.
Alison Schapker (Westworld, Scandal) serves as the sole showrunner after the departure of Diane Ademu-John (Empire, The Originals). According to Deadline, Schapker is also an executive producer alongside Ademu-John and Johan Renck (Chernobyl, The Last Panthers), who will be directing the first episode. Other executive producers are Denis Villeneuve (Dune), Jon Spaihts (Dune, Passengers), Scott Z. Burns (The Laundromat, Sea of Shadows), Matthew King (Bit Playas, Blackout), John Cameron (Severance, Legion), Cait Collins (The Last Kingdom, The Favourite), and author Brian Herbert (Dune). Serving as executive producers for the Frank Herbert estate are Byron Merritt (Dune) and Kim Herbert (Dune). Author Kevin J. Anderson (Flight 008) is also a co-producer of the show.
The show stars Watson and Henderson as the Harkonnen sisters and Fimmel will join them as Desmond Hart. Based on Frank Herbert’s (The Godmakers) novel Sisterhood of Dune, the series is set 10,000 years before Paul Atreides’ ascension and follows the Harkonnen sisters who will combat forces that threaten the future of humankind. They are also behind the establishment of the mythical sect the Bene Gesserit.
Dune: The Sisterhood has no premiere date yet, but it has started production. The 2021 Dune film is available to stream on HBO Max.