At Dune: Prophecy‘s NYC premiere, Nerdist was excited to chat with executive producer Jordan Goldberg about what’s to come in the new chapter of the franchise. Among other things, Goldberg discussed the appeal of Dune: Prophecy, what it brings to the table, and its heroes and villains. Strap in for a show whose hero, Valya Harkonnen, is all hard edges, and its villain, Desmond Hart, echoes Paul Atreides himself.
You can check out everything Goldberg had to tell us about the series below.
Nerdist: For those who are already huge fans of the Dune universe, what do you think the biggest appeal of Dune: Prophecy will be?
Jordan Goldberg: I think the biggest appeal of Dune: Prophecy is that it’s going to give you an insight into the formation of the sisterhood, which then becomes the Bene Gesserit. And the fact that there’s a Harkonnen that’s leading that order, Valya Harkonnen, it’s going to be fun to watch.
What about Valya being a Harkonnen really comes into play in Dune: Prophecy?
Goldberg: Well, we all know the Harkonnens are sort of evil and vile, and Valya Harkonnen has a hard edge, but she really is our protagonist. But, given the situation she finds herself in, she’s going to need that kind of evil and vileness.
Do you think there’s a softness to Valya despite her conniving ways?
Goldberg: Definitely. I think there definitely is. She’s very loyal to her sister. I think she actually does have very good intentions. She also wants to keep the Imperium together. Valya has found the family in the Sisterhood, and she wants to protect it at all costs.
Is there a new aspect of the Dune universe that this series is bringing to the forefront?
Goldberg: We have a story that advances into the present, and we meet some new characters. Our kind of antagonist is Desmond Hart, who’s got some Messiah-like vibes going for him. He’s really an echo of Paul Atreides, and he’s up to some really interesting things.
Tell us more about Desmond Hart.
Goldberg: What happens to Desmond Hart on Arrakis is a big part of the series. You find out in episode one there are some strange things you can’t account for with Desmond, and the question is, “Was it true or not?” And “What does it mean if it is true?”
Are there any other parallels between Dune: Prophecy characters and the characters from the Dune movies?
Goldberg: Well, we’ll see the Imperial family, we get to see the kind of pressure they’re under to constantly keep spice flowing, to keep the Imperium together. So you get to see that and what that will evolve to. You also get to see the great houses and their kind of own desires. And then the Harkonnen and Atreides feud is very much on display in our show.
And how did you first get involved with Dune? What was your Dune origin story?
Goldberg: Before Dune: Prophecy, I worked with Allison Schapker on another show called Westworld, which also was a massive gambit, and we worked together, and when she said she was working on Dune, I immediately said, “Yes.” Because it’s Dune.
I remember as a teenager reading Dune, and it just kind of blew up my mind.
Dune: Prophecy premieres on Max on November 17.