Season 2 of the Rebecca Ferguson-led Apple series Silo arrives just days before the premiere of HBO’s Dune: Prophecy prequel series. Dune: Prophecy is a six-part series based on the 2012 novel Sisterhood of Dune, which was written by original Dune author Frank Herbert’s son, Brian, and Kevin J. Anderson. The story takes place more than 10,000 years before the rise of Paul Atreidies, which is chronicled in Denis Villenueve’s Dune (2020) and Dune: Part Two (2024). Dune: Prophecy reveals the origins of the powerful shadow sisterhood known as the Bene Gesserit and how they manipulated the fate of humankind.
Ferguson was a relatively unknown actress before her involvement in two of Hollywood’s largest action franchises, Dune and Mission: Impossible. She first appeared in 2015’s Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation and reprised her role as Isla Faust in Fallout (2018) and Dead Reckoning (2023). During her early years as an actor, she worked on and off in various short films and other projects in her home country of Sweden. Ferguson rose to fame after appearing in a prominent miniseries on American premium cable and has since risen to the top of Hollywood as one of the leading female action movie heroes.
The series premiere of Dune: Prophecy releases on November 17 on HBO & MAX.
The Return Of Silo Shows Why Dune: Prophecy Should’ve Used Rebecca Ferguson
Silo is one of the best new sci-fi series across all streaming platforms
The November 15, 2024 release of Silo season 2 has already garnered mostly positive reviews and a Rotten Tomatoes score of 89% at the time of writing. Based on the book series of the same name by Hugh Howey, Silo was widely considered one of the best new original series of 2023 and one of the greatest original Apple series ever created. The series was nominated for two Emmy Awards and is poised to earn more nominations after the highly-anticipated second season. Ferguson returns after the $714 million box office success of Dune: Part Two and has more star power and recognition than ever before.
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Ferguson’s exit from the Mission: Impossible franchise following the release of Dead Reckoning opens new doors for her potential expansion in future Dune titles. Rather than choosing to adapt Sisterhood of Dune, the creators of Dune: Prophecy could have instead updated the novels that cover Lady Jessica’s origin stories, Prelude to Dune and Caladan Trilogy written by Herbert and Anderson. Because of the popularity and critical acclaim of Silo, Ferguson could be attached to the series for the next few years. She also has several upcoming titles on the horizon, including the Chris Pratt-led sci-fi movie Mercy and the Cillian Murphy-led Peaky Blinders film.
Why Rebecca Ferguson Isn’t In Dune: Prophecy
The story takes place 10,000 years before Jessica’s time
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Given the extreme jump back in time from the Dune films to Dune: Prophecy, neither Ferguson nor Timothée Chalamet’s Paul will be featured in the series. Despite the intriguing premise of Dune: Prophecy, Ferguson’s absence from the series is quite notable, even though it would be impossible for her character to be in it. Ferguson rises to become the face of the Bene Gesserit by the end of Dune: Part Two and her character is easily one of the most compelling of the series, especially considering the remarkable twist about her true identity. Because of Ferguson’s commanding performance, a Dune series about the Bene Gesserit without her feels somewhat wasted.
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Dune: Prophecy has a strong cast in its own right, led by Olivia Williams, Mark Strong, Travis Fimmel, and 2-time Oscar nominee Emily Watson. Dune: Prophecy also has the added benefit of expanding the so-called “Dune-iverse” with new characters and plot, which a Ferguson-led series wouldn’t have been able to do. A Dune series centered around Lady Jessica is certainly still on the table but will likely not even be considered until the release of Dune: Messiah, whenever that will be. Without spoiling the fate of Lady Jessica in the Dune books, there is plenty of source material to pull from and extend Ferguson’s character, particularly in the 1976 novel Children of Dune.
How Dune: Prophecy Would Have Benefited From Rebecca Ferguson’s Return
It could have established a firmer connection between the films and the series
Dune: Prophecy might have attracted more appeal had it gone with a Ferguson-led spinoff instead of introducing a whole new slate of characters. Early reviews for Dune: Prophecy are less promising than the films, which is likely in part due to the biggest missing aspect of the series, the direction of Villeneuve. The series could still have used aspects of Jessica’s character and other flashbacks to tell the Bene Gesserit story at the center of Prophecy. It would have allowed the series to market itself with Ferguson as the face of Dune: Prophecy and also help further the connection between the show and the movies.
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