Finally premiering this weekend, years before the events of Villeneuve’s movies. The new HBO show is focused on the Harkonnen family, their rise to power, and the formation of the Bene Gesserit. The show stars Mark Strong of the Kingsman series and The Witcher’s Jodhi May as Emperor Javicco Corrino and his wife Empress Natalya, alongside Chernobyl’s Emily Watson, The Crown’s Olivia Williams, and Vikings’ Travis Fimmel.

While Villeneuve’s films are largely focused on the rise of Paul Atreides, Prophecy has much more to do with the political scheming of the various groups all vying for leadership 10,000 years prior. Though Dune: Prophecy is largely about the Harkonnens, the Corrino family also plays a key role. Much of the show is set on Salusa Secundus, the home of House Corrino and the leaders of the Imperium, and focuses on the tenuous grasp the group has on its power.

Screen Rant interviewed Mark Strong and Jodhi May to discuss creating an unconventional portrayal of emperor and empress, navigating a world of political distrust, and compromising whatever it takes for House Corrino.

Strong & Hart Play An “Unconventional Portrait Of An Emperor & Empress”

Shifting Power Dynamics Are Key In Dune: Prophecy

Screen Rant: This show is absolutely incredible, and I was blown away by the production value, the acting, and everything involved. Jodhi, Empress Natalya has a complex relationship with the Thinking Machines. What are her views, and how do they influence her decisions for the Imperium?

Jodhi May: Oh, gosh, that's a great question. They're completely character-defining for Empress Natalia. She's one of the few characters who is deeply suspicious of the Sisterhood and who's very much reliant on instinct. We really get a sense in that first episode of what it means for the Thinking Machines to be kind of creeping back into use in that they, similarly to AI, present this real existential threat to the Imperium.

Mark, the turmoil on Arrakis and across the Imperium poses challenges for Emperor Javicco. How do these insurgencies impact his rule and strategies to maintain peace?

Mark Strong: Well, the lovely phrase that's used about him is, "managing a fragile peace," and that is absolutely on the nail because he's responsible for making sure that everything runs smoothly. But he's having an awful lot of trouble doing it because there are a lot of people vying for power in his world, and he isn't necessarily the best kind of guy to be in control of all that. He's inherited that power without actually having earned any of it, so there's a lovely insecurity to him, which makes the whole world a little bit unstable.

I want to talk about one of the more mysterious characters in this show, Desmond Hart. Natalya sees potential in Desmond Hart. How does she plan to use him to further the ambitions of House Corrino?

Jodhi May: It's really interesting because I think what I love about Alison's writing is that we see a really unconventional portrait of an Emperor and Empress, where the roles are kind of reversed, or we're starting to see something unraveling. There's this sense of deep frustration that Natalya has with the Emperor just being so weak and prevaricating, and it's a real game-changer when Desmond Hart comes in.

Like any opportunist, I think she sees it as a moment to just turn things around. He really throws things up in the air in an interesting way and presents Natalya with the sort of lifeline that she needs at that particular point in time.

Speaking of Desmond Hart, how does Emperor Corrino perceive him? Does he see him as an ally or a potential threat? And can you talk about working with Travis? Because I feel he brings a really different energy to the show.

Mark Strong: Yes, yes, yes. You're absolutely right. The Emperor's relationship with him changes subtly over the course of the first few episodes because initially, he's very suspicious of him. He can't quite understand how this guy has survived the attack that you find out he's been subject to at the end of the first episode. Then [Desmond] undertakes something on his behalf — basically commits murder on his behalf without Javicco ever asking him to do it — about which he's initially incredibly suspicious and realizes, "No, I can't deal with this guy.”

But then begins to realize that Desmond actually could be incredibly useful because he does seem to be offering his services. He can become a very useful weapon to help a guy who, as I said earlier, is managing this fragile peace. And this guy could be the piece of the jigsaw that's missing.

Travis, to answer the second part of your question, looks very different. He behaves very differently. I mean, the world that's being created suddenly has this character coming in that is obviously not of that world. So, that in and itself is interesting.

Something else I love about this show is that we get to dive deeper into the Houses that we know and some that we don't. Jodhi, How do you envision the foundational elements of House Corrino being established in this series, possibly planting seeds for future leaders like Shaddam?

Jodhi May: That's a really complex question. I think there's a lot that we don't know, so it's going to be really interesting to see how that plays out. But what's interesting is that I think all of these characters really keep you guessing, and what we're introduced to is a situation in which the power dynamics are shifting. So, I guess we're just going to have to see that play out, in answer to your question.

Emperor Corrino Would Compromise “Pretty Much Everything” For His House

Deepening The Layers Of The Political Powerhouses Of Dune

Mark, in efforts to stabilize his house, what might Emperor Corrino be willing to overlook or compromise on?

Mark Strong: Pretty much everything, I think, as long as it helps him stay in power. What he compromises are his principles. He allows this loose cannon of a man, who is frankly not afraid to commit murder despite having not been asked to do so, [to lead]. He's fully prepared, and I don't think he knew this of himself at the beginning, to compromise those principles and employ this frankly dangerous, erratic weapon that he's not sure that he can control. He begins to perceive that [Desmond] could be useful, and it happens to the detriment of his relationship with his family.

Jodhi, what can you tell us about Natalya’s relationship with Constantine and Ynez? What would family dinners be like in House Corrino?

Jodhi May: Well, it's a beautifully complex family, and what you see is this incredible mother-daughter relationship that is about conflict, and I'm fascinated to see where that goes. I think, without wanting to give away any spoilers, there's a lot of history in this family. There's a lot of ambivalence that is going to be interesting to explore in the coming episodes. But it's a fragile balance, I think.

What I personally love about playing at Prince Natalya and about the relationship that she has with her daughter is that it's a very unconventional portrait of motherhood. There are some interesting surprises in that respect that are coming.

The dynamics with figures like Constantine and Ynez provide a new layer for Javicco too. Mark, How does this influence his governing approach and relations with other Houses?

Mark Strong: He adores his daughter, and he's exasperated with his son, so that gives you an extra value to him. He isn't just a guy in power trying to maintain the spice production on Arrakis; he's trying to compete with the other Houses, and he's also a family man. He has to deal with all of that as well, so it's nice to see that turmoil going on behind the facade of what he has to present to the Landsraad, which is it's called when everyone's gathered.

As far as the other Great Houses are concerned, he's constantly battling; trying to remain in power, trying to keep the right people on his side. The fact that he's marrying his daughter off to a 9-year-old in order to try and secure some airships so that he can carry on being in control of the spice production and therefore remain in power is a testament to the fact that this world is incredibly dangerous, and he'll pretty much do anything to remain in charge. And if that means doing over the other Houses, so be it.

Time in this show is explored in a different way, and we've seen flashbacks of the Harkonnen sisters, the Sisterhood being formed, and House Atreides. Do we get any flashbacks of the Corrino family at all?

Mark Strong:I don't know that we do get any flashbacks of the Corrino family, but isn't episode 3 a complete flashback [to young Tula and Valya]? You don't have anything like that unfortunately for the Corirno family yet.

Jodhi May: Not yet. Who knows.

Do each of you have an episode that fans should look out for when it comes to your characters?

Mark Strong: Well, the later episodes for me become interesting. I think the journey of Javicco over the first few episodes is fascinating, and it's really about him and Desmond Hart. But what happens in the later episodes is that you get to learn a little bit more about his life beforehand and why he is a little bit the way he is. It culminates in some pretty complicated issues that occur in the later parts of the series that I can't divulge at the moment. But it's never less than interesting, let me put it like that.

Jodhi May: Yeah, I would agree with Mark. I think the one thing about this series is it really keeps you guessing. Without wanting to give any spoilers, I think Empress Natalya really evolves in the later episodes in a really interesting and unexpected way.

What I love personally about episode 4, for example, is that we really start to see the world of Dune that we know well already, in of the imagery and the kind of folklore of Arrakis and of the Worm. Visually, that starts to weave into our series' world, and we really see how one informs the other. I found that kind of really exciting as a bit of a fan.

I'm a big Dune fan too, and I love this series. Can you talk about working with Alison Schapker and Jordan Goldberg as collaborators to bring these characters in this world to life?

Mark Strong: Yeah, they were relentless, I have to say. Alison was coping with the whole of the SAG strike and the writer's strike, and this was all being created and honed and worked on during that period, which was an incredibly difficult time for her. She remained absolutely on top of it. I don't how she did it.

And Jordan Goldberg is a star. He was in there mixing it, constantly present, and constantly available for information and chats. The two of them were tireless in bringing this to the screen. Honestly, big respect to the pair of them.

Jodhi May: I just want to chime in that, for me, Alison's a bit of a hero. I just feel that she writes these incredibly strong, ball-breaking women — and it's so exciting to have that on the page. Also, she's brave [with] parts for older women. Sorry to say this again, but there are too few of them, and she is one of the champions that I feel fortunate enough to be working with.

She gives you so much information, she's so ive, and she will check in with you. She has a sixth sense about things; she really cares about the people that she works with, and she really loves actors. For me, that was a privilege.

Jordan is incredible because he brings all of the richness from his relationship with the Christopher Nolan films, and you can talk to him about any art house or world cinema film, Tchaikovsky, whatever it is — and he's got an encyclopedic knowledge. And that for me is so exciting to be around aesthetically, in of the craftsmanship of this series. I think he's brought something truly unique and incredible to it from the history of his work. It was a privilege to work with these two showrunners. They really are extraordinary, and I say that from the bottom of my heart.

You guys are amazing in this show. What did you bring to your roles that went beyond the page?

Mark Strong: That's a difficult question. I suppose if you are cast as the Emperor of the universe, the guy in charge of everything, you've got to bring your A-game. You know what I mean? If you are the guy who is the head predator, you have to be confident enough to occupy that space. Hopefully, I just brought enough status and quality to the guy so you can believe him, but also a little bit of insecurity, paranoia, and a little note of something else. That's hopefully what I brought to it.

Jodhi May: I would say that what I love about this series is that, so often you can feel as an actor that you are just part of a huge, overwhelming concept with sci-fi — and this series does not do that. It's absolutely as interested in the emotional story of these characters. What I love is that I feel that, as an actor, I was able to bring that kind of emotional richness and truth. It's absolutely there, and that feels like a really unique experience to be able to have on a series of this scale.

More About Dune: Prophecy Season 1

From the expansive universe of Dune, created by acclaimed author Frank Herbert, and 10,000 years before the ascension of Paul Atreides, DUNE: PROPHECY follows two Harkonnen sisters as they combat forces that threaten the future of humankind, and establish the fabled sect that will become known as the Bene Gesserit. DUNE: PROPHECY is inspired by the novel SISTERHOOD OF DUNE, written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson.

Check out our other Dune: Prophecy interviews here:

• Emily Watson & Olivia Williams
• Alison Schapker
• Travis Fimmel & Jordan Goldberg
• Sarah-Sofie Boussnina, Josh Heuston, & Chris Mason

Dune: Prophecy premieres November 17 at 9pm ET on HBO.

Source: Screen Rant Plus