Frank Herbert Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

Zendaya has been set as the recipient of CinemaCon 2023’s Star of the Year Award.

Netflix has tapped Academy Award nominee Jon Spaihts (Dune: Part One & Two) to pen its live-action Gears of War film, based on the hit video game series, Deadline can confirm.

Ellise Shafer HBO Max’s “Dune” prequel spinoff “The Sisterhood” is going through some changes. Both director Johan Renck and star Shirley Henderson have exited the HBO Max series, Variety has confirmed. The news comes as the production takes a “pre-scheduled hiatus,” according to the streamer. “There are some creative changes being made to the production in an effort to create the best series possible and stay true to the source material,” a HBO Max representative said in a statement. “Johan Renck has completed his work on the series and a new director will be brought on; through mutual agreement Johan is moving on to pursue other projects. Additionally, Shirley Henderson will be exiting the series and will no longer be playing Tula Harkonnen.”

Tim Blake Nelson is the newest addition to the cast of Dune: Part 2, Deadline can confirm. 

Mark Strong (1917, Kingsman films), Jade Anouka (His Dark Materials, Small Axe) and Chris Mason (Broadchurch, Dirty John) have been cast opposite Emily Watson, Shirley Henderson and Travis Fimmel in HBO Max’s series Dune: The Sisterhood (wt), from Legendary Television.

Legendary’s ‘Dune” franchise is steadily growing. Denis Villeneuve is returning to helm “Dune: Part Two,” the second half of the first Frank Herbert novel, with tentative plans to potentially adapt the second book “Dune Messiah” to round out a trilogy.

EXCLUSIVE: As HBO Max’s Dune: The Sisterhood (wt) moves into production, series creator and writer Diane Ademu-John is stepping down as co-showrunner. She will remain creatively involved in the prequel as executive producer but will focus on other commitments. Veteran TV writer-producer Alison Schapker, who has served as co-showrunner with Ademu-John, will now be the sole showrunner for the series.

Travis Fimmel has been tapped as the male lead opposite Emily Watson and Shirley Henderson in HBO Max’s series Dune: The Sisterhood (wt), from Legendary Television.

Sarah-Sofie Boussnina (The Colony), Shalom Brune-Franklin (The Tourist), Faoileann Cunningham (The Northman), Aoife Hinds (Normal People) and Chloe Lea (Foundation) have joined the cast of HBO Max’s Dune: The Sisterhood (wt), from Legendary Television. They join previously announced leads Emily Watson, Shirley Henderson and Indira Varma.

“There’s a lot of work around, I’ve been busy,” Emily Watson declared, brightly, over tea and crumbly biscuits at The Union, a private club in central London, as she chatted with Deadline about why she loves working in front of the camera.

EXCLUSIVE: Filming will get underway next month in Budapest, Hungary, on anticipated prequel series Dune: The Sisterhood (working title) from HBO Max and Legendary Television.

Selome Hailu Indira Varma has been cast as Empress Natalya in “Dune: The Sisterhood” (working title), HBO Max’s upcoming “Dune” prequel series co-produced with Legendary Television. Empress Natalya is described as a formidable royal who united thousands of worlds in her marriage to Emperor Corrino. Varma is best known for playing Ellaria Sand in four seasons of “Game of Thrones” and recently starred as Tala Durith in “Obi-Wan Kenobi.” Other prominent credits include “Luther” on BBC and “Paranoid” on ITV and Netflix. Up next, Varma will appear in “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” and “Extrapolations” on Apple TV+. She is reppedmby Gersh, Principal Entertainment LA and James Adams.

EXCLUSIVE: Game Of Thrones, Obi-Wan and Carnival Row actress Indira Varma is the third actor to join anticipated prequel series Dune: The Sisterhood (working title) from HBO Max and Legendary Television.

Ellise Shafer “Dune: Part Two” is coming to theaters sooner than expected. It was revealed on Tuesday that the highly-anticipated sequel to Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi epic will hit theaters on Nov. 3, 2023, instead of Nov. 17, 2023. “Dune” has taken the previous spot of Marvel’s “Blade,” which was delayed on Tuesday to Sept. 6, 2024. Villeneuve returns to direct “Dune: Part Two,” with its star-studded cast including Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Zendaya, Charlotte Rampling, Javier Bardem, Florence Pugh, Austin Butler, Christopher Walken and Léa Seydoux. The first “Dune” released in October 2021 and scored over $400 million at the box office worldwide, in addition to scoring six Oscars. “Dune: Part Two” will cover the second half of Frank Herbert’s 1965 novel, in which protagonist Paul Atreides (Chalamet) joins forces with the Fremen to avenge his family. New characters will include Princess Irulan (Pugh), Harkonnen heir Feyd-Rautha (Butler), Shaddam IV (Walken) and Lady Margot (Seydoux).

Emily Watson and Shirley Henderson will lead the “Dune” prequel series at HBO Max. Watson and Henderson have been cast as Valya Harkonnen and Tula Harkonnen, described by the streamer as “the formidable Harkonnen Sisters, who have risen to power in the Sisterhood, a secret organization of women who will go on to become the Bene Gesserit.”The prequel series, titled “Dune: The Sisterhood,” is set 10,000 years before the ascension of Paul Atreides and follows the Harkonnen Sisters as they combat forces that threaten the future of humankind and establish the fabled sect known as the Bene Gesserit.The series is adapted from the novel “Sisterhood of Dune” by Brian Herbert and Kevin J.

Dune prequel series is on the way, with Emily Watson and Shirley Henderson cast in the lead roles.Dune: The Sisterhood will take place 10,000 years before Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet in Denis Villeneuve’s recent film) rose to the throne, and will focus on the Harkonnen Sisters.The story is based on the 2012 sci-fi novel by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, taking place in the same Dune universe created by Herbert’s father, Frank Herbert.Watson and Henderson will play Valyva and Tula Harkonnen, Deadline reports, who are the sisters who rise to power within the Sisterhood that goes on to become the Bene Gesserit.In Villeneuve’s film, Charlotte Rampling plays Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam, a Bene Gesserit Reverend Mother who tests Paul before he leaves for Atreides.The Sisterhood was created, written and executive produced by Diana Ademu-John, who will also serve as a co-runner of the show alongside Alison Schapker.Villeneuve is an executive producer on the series as well, alongside Jon Spaihts, Scott Z.

Emily Watson (Chernobyl, God’s Creatures) and Shirley Henderson (Harry Potter, Stan & Ollie) will lead the cast of HBO Max’s Dune: The Sisterhood (wt), from Legendary Television.

Dune game has finally been released under the new name Elland: The Crystal Wars.Formerly known as Dune: Ornithopter Assault, the development of the title began as a Game Boy Advance game 20 years ago, based on the popular books series by Frank Herbert. The game was cancelled in 2002 and the team behind it, Cryo Interactive, had to halt all progress on the project.Now, after raising over $21,222 (£18,915) on Kickstarter with 352 backers, the game has been released on Steam thanks to a small business that specializes in game preservation, The Retro Room Games (via PC Gamer).In Elland: The Crystal Wars, the player takes the role of Ethan Lancashire, one of the finest of Elland Inc.’s fighter pilots, whose job is to deliver crystal gatherers to the crystal fields and prevent smugglers from destroying them.The game takes place on the desert planet of Elland on the outskirts of the galaxy which mines the minerals and crystals used in the construction of Galactic star cruisers.

Leonardo DiCaprio.The actor, known for his breakout roles in Call Me By Your Name, Lady Bird and Dune, first met DiCaprio in 2018, where he shared some advice for his future career.As revealed in an interview with Vogue, DiCaprio told Chalamet: “No hard drugs and no superhero movies.”Speaking to Time in October last year, Chalamet previously said that he received the advice from “one of my heroes” without revealing his identity. “One of my heroes – I can’t say who or he’d kick my ass – he put his arm around me the first night we met and gave me some advice.“No hard drugs and no superhero movies,” he told the outlet.Chalamet has reunited with Call Me By Your Name director Luca Guadagnino for his next film, Bones And All, a coming-of-age romantic horror road film based on the novel of the same name.Alongside Chalamet, the film stars Taylor Russell, Mark Rylance, Michael Stuhlberg, Andre Holland, Chloe Sevigny, Jessica Harper and David Gordon Green.

greenlit in Oct. 2021, sci-fi fans will be pleased to know that production has officially begun this month.

#DuneMovie pic. twitter. com/H31MTEcvcSIn other exciting news, last week it was announced that Souheila Yacoub would be joining the cast.

Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Entertainment film Dune: Part Two has begun production, reports Business Wire. 

“Dune: Part Two” is being shifted from Oct. 20, 2023 to Nov. 17, 2023.

Léa Seydoux is set to play Lady Margot in Dune: Part Two, the next instalment of the fantasy blockbuster. Deadline reported that the French actress is still in negotiations to join the cast which includes Timothée Chalamet, Josh Brolin and Zendaya. In May it was confirmed that Christopher Walken and Austin Butler would star in the second film.

Fans may have to wait until October 2023 for the “Dune” sequel to arrive in theatres, but star Javier Bardem is already expecting the story will “surprise” people.

Dune: Part One was released in theaters in October 2021 and a sequel has been confirmed to be in the works.

Dune: Part Two” as Christopher Walken will play the devious Emperor Shaddam IV in the follow-up to last year’s Oscar-winning sci-fi epic. In “Dune,” Emperor Shaddam IV had a major off-screen presence as he assigned House Atreides and Duke Leto (Oscar Isaac) to take over Arrakis from the Harkonnens, only for that assignment to be a double-cross as the Emperor had anticipated that the Harkonnens would move to exterminate House Atreides, thereby eliminating a potential threat to the Emperor’s rule.

Adam B. Vary Senior Entertainment WriterThe House Corrino has its ruler.Christopher Walken will join Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya in director Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune Part Two,” as Shaddam IV, the Padishah Emperor of the Known Universe.Walken’s casting fills out the major characters for the second half of Villeneuve’s adaptation of Frank Herbert’s seminal science fiction novel.

statement on his social media pages, sharing that the musician died “suddenly and unexpectedly” on April 26, following a long illness.“Not only does he leave a great musical legacy, but also a wife, two sons and four grandchildren,” the statement continues. “On behalf of him and the family, we would like to thank you for your loyalty and support throughout the years – it has meant a lot.“His music will live on, and so will our memories.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe “Dune” prequel series at HBO Max has brought Johan Renck onboard to direct the first two episodes.Renck will also serve as an executive producer on the show, currently titled “Dune: The Sisterhood.” It was ordered straight-to-series at HBO Max in June 2019. Previously, “Dune” director and co-writer Denis Villeneuve was attached to direct the pilot for “Dune: The Sisterhood,” but his work on the “Dune” sequel film will prevent him from doing so.The show is set 10,000 years prior to the events of “Dune” and follows the Harkonnen Sisters as they combat forces that threaten the future of humankind, and establish the fabled sect known as the Bene Gesserit.Renck won two Emmys for his work on the critically-acclaimed HBO limited series “Chernobyl” — one as an executive producer when the show won best limited series and another for best directing for a limited series, as he directed all five episodes.

Johan Renck, the Emmy Award-winner behind HBO series Chernobyl, is to direct the first two episodes of Dune: The Sisterhood (w/t).

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music CriticGerman composer and musician Klaus Schulze, a pioneer in the field of electronic music and leading figure in what came to be known as “Kraut-rock,” died Tuesday. He was 74 and the death was described in an announcement from his record label as coming “after a long disease, but all of a sudden.”Schulze was an early member of the groups Tangerine Dream, the Cosmic Joker and Ash Ra Tempel, in the beginnings of a career that grew to include more than 60 albums.Despite his illness, Schulze had new music in the pipeline.

Todd Longwell Legendary Entertainment CEO Joshua Grode, the keynote speaker at Variety’s Power of Law breakfast on April 20, is having a good year. For one thing, his company scored big at the Oscars with its epic adaptation of Frank Herbert’s classic sci-fi novel “Dune” (produced in partnership with Warner Bros.), which earned 10 nominations, including best picture, and took home six statuettes.

Get ready to go back to Arrakis! Dune fans rejoice – because the sequel is already in the works.

Dune" took home six of the coveted gold trophies.  This outstanding honor puts the $165 million feature film adaptation of Frank Herbert’s seminal 1965 novel in rare company, becoming the second of the most successful sci-fi movies at the Oscars by placing it in a tie with 2015's "Mad Max: Fury Road" with six wins.

Jon Burlingame editorHans Zimmer triumphed in Sunday’s best original score category at the Academy Awards, claiming the Oscar for the music of “Dune.”Zimmer did not attend the ceremony at the Dolby Theatre as he is on tour with his band in Europe.It is Zimmer’s second Academy Award; he previously won for 1994’s animated “The Lion King,” although he has 10 other nominations for such modern classics as “Rain Man” and “Gladiator” and high-profile Christopher Nolan movies like “Inception” and “Interstellar.”Zimmer’s victory had been widely predicted, as the composer has already won the BAFTA, Golden Globe and Critics Choice Awards for his music for Denis Villeneuve’s much-admired adaptation of the sci-fi classic. “Dune” is the German-born composer’s second collaboration with the director, after their work together on “Blade Runner 2049.” Writing music for the project fulfilled a long-held ambition for Zimmer, who read Frank Herbert’s novel when he was 18 and had often imagined what the music of Arrakis might sound like.Eerie, ominous and dramatic, the Zimmer score is a unique mix of choral, world-music, rock and electronic sounds created by friends and colleagues on three continents during the pandemic.