Dune: Prophecy: The Complete First Season 4K Review (Warner Bros.)

Dune: Prophecy is a 2024 science fiction television series developed/co-written/produced by Diana Ademu-John (Medium, The Originals, Body of Proof, Empire, The Haunting of Bly Manor, and Project: Phoenix) and Alison Schapker (Lost, Alias, Westworld, The Flash, Fringe, Almost Human, and Charmed). It was directed by Anna Foerster (Underworld: Blood Wars, Outlander, Jessica Jones, Lou, and Westworld), Richard J. Lewis (Barney’s Vision, Person of Interest, CSI, Superboy, and Penny Dreadful: City of Angels), and John Cameron (Legion, Fargo, The Pitt, Xena: Warrior Princess, and Hercules: The Legendary Journeys). It’s based on the novels from authors Frank Herbert, Brian Herbert, and Kevin J. Anderson. It was produced by Bryan H. Carroll (The Penguin, Public Enemies, Miami Vice, Collateral, and Peacemaker). It’s a prequel to the Dune movies and it’s inspired by “Sisterhood of Dune”. It’s premiered on HBO Max and a 2nd season is already in development!!!! Ten thousand years before Paul Atreides joined the Fremen to lead an uprising on Arrakis to take down House Harkonnen. Two Harkonnen sisters which includes Valya (played by: Emily Watson from Punch-Drunk Love, Red Dragon, Equilibrium, Kingsman: The Golden Circle, The Proposition, Corpse Bride, and The Boxer) and Tulsa (played by: Olivia Williams from The Sixth Sense, Rushmore, Below, The Postman, Dollhouse, and X-Men: The Last Stand) combat evil forces which includes Emperor Javicco Corrino (played by: Mark Strong from Kick-Ass, 1917, Shazam!, Kingsman franchise, Zero Dark Thirty, The Penguin, and Green Lantern) and Desmond Hart (played by: Travis Fimmel from Vikings, The Baytown Outlaws, Warcraft, Dreamland, Kandahar, and Raised by Wolves) that threaten the entire future of humankind. They fight back and they establish the fabled sect that will become known as the Bene Gesserit!!!! Dune: Prophecy reminds me of a mix of Star Wars and Game of Thrones. It just has that vibe to it. It has that classic Hatfields and McCoys concept of extreme hatred between families. This is a prequel to all of the recent Dune films from the last few years. Considering it’s original source material, Dune probably does work better as a television series because there’s so much more to it’s universe that doesn’t make the actual movies sometimes. Veteran actresses Emily Watson and Olivia Williams bring their talents to the small screen here in Dune: Prophecy. They are two of the best that you can get for something like this. They instantly add respect to this project. They defend their cause and they go against some ruthless individuals. Their chemistry is on point. Mark Strong is flawless as the corrupt Emperor Javicco Corrino. He is nothing but a really bad guy with too much power but he knows how to play the game and he makes sure he has the right people around him. Honestly, Mark Strong is always consistent and he elevates everything when he’s involved. Travis Fimmel is the very dangerous Desmond Hart. He kinda steals the show here as the skilled and brutal miracle worker. He has abilities like no one else and he could control whatever he wants. He’s the real weapon and enforcer for the Emperor. The rest of the supporting cast includes Chloe Lea (Foundation), Jade Anouka (His Dark Materials), Faoileann Cunningham (The Northman), Aoife Hinds (The Commuter), Barbara Marten (Casualty), Jodhi May (The Last of the Mohicans), Sarah-Sofie Boussnina (The Bridge), Chris Mason (Riverdale), Shalom Brune-Franklin (Baby Reindeer), Edward Davis (Mickey 17), Cathy Tyson (The Serpent and the Rainbow), and Mark Addy. (Game of Thrones). Dune: Prophecy is packed with drama, sci-fi, twists, action, suspense, betrayal, and just pure chaos during it’s 6 episodes. It always keeps everyone on their toes and you never what’s going to happen next. It’s a refreshing take on the legendary universe, it adds more to it all. There’s so much potential and some really great stories ready to be explored with this. It’s currently on HBO Max if you are curious about it. Dune: Prophecy is lots of fun and always highly entertaining with it’s surprises. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens for season two and it’s always interesting to see what actually connects to the full length features with it, RECOMMENDED!!!! Let’s discuss this high definition presentation and special features from Warner Bros! These 2160p (2.00:1) transfers with HDR10 look amazing on all 6 episodes. Dune: Prophecy has top notch production design, locations, and fx that really shine with it’s stylish cinematography. Every episode really feels like it’s own little movie rather just some TV show. It has various audio options which includes English: Dolby Atmos, English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1, French: Dolby Digital 5.1, German: Dolby Digital 5.1, and Italian: Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks on the UHD. It’s one of the best sounding television series from HBO in awhile. Everything just hits hard when it comes to the audio here. All of the dialogue is crisp, the tension is elevated, and the music has a killer boost to it. It has English SDH, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Norwegian, and Swedish subtitles. On the 1st disc, it has the almost 3 minute “Entering the Dune Universe”. It’s a quick introduction to the prequel series. The cast and crew get you ready for this wild mysterious world. It has the almost 3 minute “Houses Divided”. They go over the different powerful families when it comes to Dune. It shows you the beginnings of it all before it all changed. It has the almost 6 minute “Inside the Episode #101” and the little over 5 minute “Inside the Episode #102”. The cast and crew from Dune: Prophecy break down all the important stories and subplots that happen early on for this dark journey. On the 2nd disc, it has the almost 6 minute “Truth or Lie” which includes “Imperium” and “Sisterhood”. The cast and crew play a game with each other and answer questions related to Dune. It has the almost 3 minute “Expanding the Universe”. This is a quick promotional piece explaining the project with some of the creative minds that worked on it. It has the almost 5 minute “Inside the Episode #103” and the almost 5 minute “Inside the Episode #104”. The cast and crew go over the characters, actors, relationships, and storylines from the episodes with an inside look into them. On the 3rd disc, it has the almost 35 minute “Behind the Veil” which includes “Envisioning the Future – Extended”, “Power of Sound – Extended”, “Designing the Universe – Extended”, “Crafting the Costumes – Extended”, and “Crafting the Hair and Makeup – Extended”. It has interviews with the cast and crew from the production. It’s a nice behind the scenes look into Dune. They break down a variety of different things when it comes to all the departments from the series. Everything from it’s visual and practical fx together. It highlights the music, sets, and the overall look of the universe. It has the little over 13 minute home video entertainment exclusive extra “Building Worlds”. It has some of same cast and crew from before. This is another deep dive into the production design and behind the scenes work for the Dune visuals. It’s cool to see what happens before everything is inserted for It’s final versions. It has the little over 4 minute “Inside the Episode #105” and the little over 6 minute “Inside the Episode #106”. It has comments and opinions from individuals involved with it. Lots of creative team and it’s cast break down what happens in these final episodes. I love how most HBO shows do this and every important moment is showcased here. It’s available everywhere on May 13th, CHECK IT OUT!!!!