HBO Max's upcoming Dune prequel series Dune: The Sisterhood has found its latest cast member in Vikings star Travis Fimmel.
According to Variety, Dune: The Sisterhood has cast Fimmel in the role of Desmond Hart, a character who does not appear to already exist in Frank Herbert's Dune universe. Desmond is described as a "charismatic soldier with an enigmatic past, who seeks to gain the Emperor's trust at the expense of the Sisterhood."
In addition to Fimmel as Desmond, HBO Max's Dune: The Sisterhood -- which comes from Legendary Television -- stars Emily Watson as Valya Harkonnen, Shirley Henderson as Tula Harkonnen, Indira Varma as Empress Natalya, Sarah-Sofie Boussnina as Princess Ynez, Shalom Brune-Franklin as Mikaela, Faoileann Cunningham as Sister Jen, Aoife Hinds as Sister Emeline and Chloe Lea as Lila.
Fimmel is perhaps best known for his leading role as Ragnar Lothbrok on History and Prime Video's Vikings. He is also no stranger to HBO Max series, having previously starred on Raised by Wolves, nor is he a stranger to Legendary productions, having also starred in the 2016 film Warcraft, based on the video game franchise of the same name.
Fear Is the Mind-Killer
Set 10,000 years before the events of Dune, HBO Max's The Sisterhood chronicles the origins of the all-female, pseudo-religious organization known as the Bene Gesserit. Based on the Expanded Dune Universe novel Sisterhood of Dune by Brian Herbert (Frank Herbert's son) and Kevin J. Anderson, the upcoming series "follows the Harkonnen Sisters [played by Watson and Henderson] as they combat forces that threaten the future of humankind, and establish the fabled sect known as the Bene Gesserit." Chernobyl's Johan Renck is attached to direct the premiere episode.
Directed by Denis Villeneuve, Legendary Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures' Dune premiered in theaters and on HBO Max on Oct. 22, 2021. The film adapts roughly the first half of Frank Herbert's original 1965 novel of the same name. The second half of the novel will be adapted in Villeneuve's Dune: Part Two, which is currently slated to premiere exclusively in theaters on Nov. 3, 2023.
In addition to executive producing HBO Max's The Sisterhood, Villeneuve has also spoken to the possibility of directing a third feature film, which would be based upon Dune Messiah, the second novel in Frank Herbert's original Dune saga. "If I survive Dune: Part Two, then I might do the Messiah," the director told Collider earlier this year. "When I start to think about that, I get tired. It's too much. I need to focus on one project at a time, to be honest. But Part Three will be... I'm making sure that Part Three will be doable."
Dune: The Sisterhood is set to stream on HBO Max, though does not yet have a premiere date.
Source: Variety