Emily Watson as Valya Harkonnen
The first episode of Prophecy begins with Valya explaining her family’s place in the world. While most viewers associate the name Harkonnen with the scheming Baron, Valya insists that her family was unfairly shamed by duplicitous Atreides during the war against “Thinking Machines” (read: AI) a century earlier. Valya sees a way forward for her family through the Sisterhood, a religious order that eventually becomes the Bene Gesserit.
Prophecy overcomes any prejudices viewers might have by casting Emily Watson as Valya. A veteran of stage and screen, Watson has an inherent sweetness and vulnerability, qualities that led to standout performances in Breaking the Waves and Punch-Drunk Love. Watson began in the Royal Shakespeare Company, training that serves her well while delivering Valya long and often deliberately obscure monologues. But will that be enough to make people see Valya as a hero?
Olivia Williams as Tula Harkonnen
Where Valya sees the Sisterhood as a means to restore the honor of her family, her sibling Tula sees it as a good unto its self. As a Reverend Mother within the Sisterhood, Tula devotes her time less to scheming power plays and more towards teaching her charges the fundamentals of their beliefs. Despite her differences in approach, Tula still deeply loves Valya and shows a great deal of patience for the latter’s plans.
Like Watson, Olivia Williams has a long and impressive career in film, television, and theaters. Moviegoers may know her best for supporting roles in The Sixth Sense and Rushmore, where she played women who provided stability in complex situations. That experience will serve Williams well while portraying Tula, as will her historical research. As Williams told Den of Geek earlier this year, she and Watson prepared for their roles by studying the portraits of Tudor sisters Mary and Elizabeth in the National Portrait Gallery.
Mark Strong as Emperor Javicco Corrino
Although he only had a few minutes of screen time, the Padishah Emperor Shaddam Corrino IV (Christopher Walken) made his presence known throughout both Dune films. His distant ancestor Javicco Corrino will be much more noticeable in Dune: Prophecy, but will he be more effective? The scion of the house who established itself in the fallout of the war against Thinking Machines, Javicco rules an empire in transition, still trying to figure out how to live without computers. As future institutions such as the Bene Gesserit and the Spacing Guild rise, Javicco’s weaknesses will be theirs to exploit.
Weakness isn’t often a word associated with Mark Strong, and not just because of his surname. Strong loves to play scheming villains, most recently stepping in for John Turturro as Carmine Falcone in The Penguin, but also as Doctor Sivana in Shazam!, Sinestro in Green Lantern, and Frank D’Amico in Kick-Ass. Strong will get to show off another set of skills as Javicco, a man who cannot keep up with the schemers around him.