Dune: Prophecy, Max’s upcoming TV show set in Denis Villeneuve’s Dune cinematic universe, has a ways to go. Set 10,000 years before the events depicted in Dune: Part One and Dune: Part Two, the series focuses on the founding of the Bene Gesserit sect. Still, there are plenty of other questions that Dune: Prophecy needs to answer. Of course, there are also several key threads that were cut from Villeneuve’s films that the TV series must address, not only for the sake of Dune’s story, but to properly set up the filmmaker’s highly anticipated Dune 3.

Key to Dune: Prophecy’s impressive cast of characters are Valya Harkonnen (Emily Watson), the leader of the newly founded Bene Gesserit Brotherhood, and Tula Harkonnen (Olivia Williams), Valya’s sister and fellow Bene Gesserit adept. While the focus will primarily be on the Harkonnen sisters and other Bene Gesserit acolytes, members of the Corrino Empire will also play a key role. Needless to say, the prequel series sets the stage for Paul Atreides’ (Timothée Chalamet) epic story, but Dune: Prophecy also needs to properly introduce a crucial faction that Villeneuve didn’t include in his films.