Why the Harkonnens in Dune aren’t bald and pale: prophecy

Now Warner Bros. is the proud owner of a thriving “Dune” franchiseThey have started the process of brand expansion the HBO series “Dune: Prophecy.” The series is set 10,000 years before the events of Denis Villeneuve’s cinematic sensations Dune and Dune: Part Two, some time after Brian Herbert’s Great Schools of Dune novels, and explores the origins of the Bene Gesserit sisterhood. It features a great cast led by Emily Watson and Olivia Williams, has extremely impressive production/costume design, and is dull as dishwater.

Apologies to those who love prequels and origin stories, but they are typically an abomination of storytelling, and there are few exceptions. Patton Oswalt has a stand-up role titled “At Midnight I Will Kill George Lucas with a Shovel,” which hilariously explains: profane why that’s true, but basically all prequels are filler ventures that dramatize things we already know. Yes, there are often strange twists in the backstory that we weren’t aware of before, but these incidents are nothing more than glorified little things. This approach to pulp storytelling has become so pervasive that it’s only a matter of time before we get an entire movie centered around the jeweler who sold Martha Wayne her pearl necklace.

Harkonnens. They’re here because of Harkonnens, and why they look so damn different in Dune: Prophecy than their relatives 10,000 years in the future. Would the simple answer “evolution” satisfy your thirst for knowledge? I suppose not. This is how the Harkonnens became the doughy, hairless, annoying guys they are in Villeneuve’s films.

Mother Superior Valya Harkonnen and Reverend Mother Tula Harkonnen, portrayed by Emily Watson and Olivia Williams in Dune: Prophecy, are distinguished by their Caucasian skin color and hair. They couldn’t be more similar to the very pale and shaved Baron Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård), Glossu Raban (Dave Bautista) and Feyd-Rautha (Austin Butler). Why is that?

The Harkonnens of Dune: Prophecy hail from the planet Lankiveil, a cold planet far more hospitable than the volcanic, industrialized Giedi Prime, which orbits a black sun. Such a dark, harsh climate negatively affects your pigmentation and temperament. Why House Harkonnen switched from Lenkieveil to Giedi Prime may be covered at some point in Dune: Prophecy, but man, 10,000 years is one long stretch (The series actually depicts events further back in time). This feels like a form of social repression that spans eons and numerous conflicts. So if you enjoy watching fictional story unfold over (maybe) several seasons on television, then I have a feeling your thing is slowly, glacial overflows. The rest of us will cool our heels and Wait for Villeneuve’s third film Due sometime (hopefully) in 2026.