At a time when science fiction and fantasy shows seem to be grabbing everyone's attention, the newest take on this old story is Dune: Prophecy. It has been drawing comparisons with Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon.
According to critics, it takes a lot from those medieval stories: fighting for power, complicated alliances, and, of course, betrayal.
The series falls into the broad Dune universe. With the style of magical and political storytelling through the fighting groups and secret agreements, the story seems to be massive.
David Fear of Rolling Stone said,
“This does not want to be Dune TV. It wants to be a science fiction Game of Thrones.”
He stated that it shares high-stakes plots and political intrigues like those that helped earlier HBO hits. But Dune: Prophecy brings in more since the show makes viewers part of a big story centered on a secret group of women.
Below we will explain why critics are drawing these parallels, what makes Dune: Prophecy unique, and whether or not it delivers.
Dune: Prophecy is also a political drama but in space
Just as Game of Thrones captured the audience's imaginations with a maze of noble houses and shifting alliances, Dune: Prophecy presents interstellar politics full of power plays.
Occurring thousands of years before the hero Paul Atreides of Dune, Prophecy follows a mysterious female order practicing subtle manipulations of politics from the shadows of the Bene Gesserit.
Jessica Barden plays Valya Harkonnen, a young woman who wants power in the Bene Gesserit. Her performance shows the dark ambition that fans see in characters like Cersei Lannister.
As Tessa Smith of Mama's Geeky has noted,
“If you are a fan of Game of Thrones, you are sure to love Dune: Prophecy.”
She shows how the series is ready to explore similar serious topics, like betrayal and characters who are neither good nor bad. The political tricks made more intense by space-related stakes, attract the same viewers interested in medieval stories but add a futuristic, galactic spin.
Dune: Prophecy's dark aesthetic and brutalism
Dune: Prophecy has a dark, harsh style that looks like the cold and scary world of Westeros. Reuben Baron of Looper especially noticed the "magazine-cover look and future-brutalist production design" which helped create that rough, gritty feel to the show similar to that in the Game of Thrones universe.
It's easy to see in scenes set on cold Harkonnen planets. It's been likened to Winterfell and Night's Watch outposts. The barren, sandy vistas on imperial planets are similar in film style to Villeneuve but with a pointiness that makes it:
“Like a Game of Thrones template with spice,” according to Daniel Feinberg of The Hollywood Reporter.
The show's set design, grand castles, and big deserts included, adds to its strong, unusual feeling and draw the viewer into the brutal, competitive world of Dune.
Familiar themes of betrayal and romance
Dune: Prophecy has a kind of story that would superficially compare to Game of Thrones: betrayal, love triangles, and all that strive for power. Where there's romance and betrayal, drama is on, especially for those like Princess Ynez, who is caught in a political marriage that makes things grim.
Rebellious love stories, such as the Jon Snow and Ygritte tale, come with tension as Ynez manages her feelings for her swordmaster, Keiran Atreides, or Chris Mason. Another theme that comes along is the danger of an event predicted to come, as shared by Game of Thrones' old prophecies and "The Long Night."
Critics believe Prophecy's tragic love and destined events will appeal to GoT fans.
But at times, says Rolling Stone, the show relies too heavily on this:
“It’s trying so hard to fill a GoT-but-in-space mandate that it often forgets to serve its I.P. narrative duties.”
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Dune: Prophecy will be on HBO starting November 17.
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