Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 179

How DUNE: PROPHECY Made ‘Fear Is the Mind Killer’ a Tangible Terror

“Fear is the mind-killer” is one of the most memorable quotes from Frank Herbert’s Dune. It’s the mantra Paul Atreides repeats to himself to survive the Gom Jabbar test. The Bene Gesserit’s “Litany Against Fear” is also one of the franchise’s most enduring ideas. It’s about the victory of mind over matter, of mind over our basest, most animalistic instincts. Not giving in to fear is one of the hallmarks of being human. It’s a concept you don’t need spice to comprehend, appreciate or master. But on Dune: Prophecy fear became a literal mind-killer, as the show turned a central Dune philosophy and made it a virus.

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Dune: Prophecy‘s season one finale revealed how Desmond Hart got his “great power” after surviving a sandworm attack on Arrakis. An unknown figure (maybe human, maybe machine) used forbidden thinking machines to implant nanotech on Desmond’s eye. That is what allows the soldier, somehow, to burn people from the inside out. Hart activates a deadly bioengineered virus others have unknowingly contracted. Hart also appears to be patient zero, the person spreading the virus when he gets in close contact with them.

While we don’t know who made the bio-weapon, why they specifically chose Desmond Hart as their unwitting weapon, or how exactly he’s activating the fatal disease, we know how it works. We also know what it’s based on. Mother Raquella, through Lila, identified the lesions found on Kashaka’s brain. They were caused by a variation of the Omnius Scourge, a highly fatal pathogen thinking machines used against humanity during the Butlerian Jihad centuries earlier. That retrovirus “incubated in the human body, releasing an enzyme that infected the liver.”

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This new “enzyme has similar properties,” but rather than hiding in the liver it concentrates itself in a person’s amygdala, “the fear center” of the brain. Once activated the pathogen causes terrible visions in the mind of its human host. That sets off a chain reaction. The more they fight back, the stronger the virus gets. Ultimately the victim’s body burns from the inside out trying to survive.

Nazir, a Sister also trained as a Suk doctor, thought she could organically produce an anti-viral. She was best equipped to use prana-bindu to transmute the virus inside her body on a molecular level. (A process seen in Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part II when Lady Jessica transmuted the Water of Life.) But not even Nazir could overcome the virus. It kept getting stronger each time she fought against it and killed her.

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Tula at least learned from Nazir’s death. She learned they can’t fight this virus, they can only survive it. And with her sister’s guidance Valya did just that when Desmond Hart activated the enzyme in the Reverend Mother Superior. Instead of letting her fear overcome her, and instead of trying to defeat it, Valya Harkonnen let go. She let go of her fears about who she is, what she’d done, and the things she thought she was responsible for. She let her fear wash over her and in doing so lived.

Ten thousand years after Dune: Prophecy Paul Atreides’ Bene Gesserit mother will teach him about the Litany of Fear. She will teach him he “must not fear.” The future Muad’Dib will know “fear is the mind-killer,” the “little-death that brings total obliteration.” But long ago that was not just an idea, it was a literal way to survive a virus that threatened all of humanity. Fear was truly a mind-killer.

Editor’s Note: Dune: Prophecy is a Legendary Entertainment production. Nerdist is a subsidiary of Legendary Digital Networks.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist who isn’t afraid of the fear virus. You can follow him on Bluesky at @burgermikeOpens in a new tab. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

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Tabu Talks DUNE: PROPHECY’s Suprising Finale Deaths, Francesca’s Motivations and More

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Alas, we were so excited to have Bollywood star Tabu join the world of Dune in Dune: Prophecy. But in the end, Tabu’s Sister Francesca was only fated to survive two episodes. In Dune: Prophecy‘s shocking finale, Francesca met her death alongside her lover and love, Emperor Corinno. It was a stunning sequence and quite the swan song for the character. To process it all, Tabu joined Nerdist to discuss Francesca’s Dune: Prophecy death, her sincere love for Emperor Corrino, what it was like for her character to be part of the Sisterhood and a mother, and whether we could see Francesca again in the series (despite her tragic ending). Check out our second interview with Tabu below.

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A very important character who comes later in Dune’s universe, Lady Jessica, will disobey the Sisterhood for love hundreds of years after Sister Francesca. Do you think Sister Francesca did exactly that for Emperor Corrino?

Tabu: I think she did exactly that. She was going to disobey for love from the start, from episode five, and you see her doing that in episode six. Unfortunately, Francesca meets a tragic end and death, and Javicco Corrino meets a tragic end. But she came into Dune: Prophecy with the intention of not obeying Valya Harkonnen and helping Javicco out of all this.

So we know that she was going to disobey. But we don’t know if they would’ve survived what would’ve happened. Would she have rebelled? Would she have taken Javicco and run? Would Javicco Corrino be by her side to fight Valya? Would the tables be turned? Would there be a confrontation? Francesca suddenly realizes that she had to leave her love, her son, and everything at the command of this woman who’s now, again, utilizing her to manipulate power. So, if they had survived, that would have been interesting to see.

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As you mention, Francesca has a son, Constantine Corrino, and she’s one of the only Sisters that we’ve met who has a bond with her child on Dune: Prophecy. How do you think that separates her from the rest of the sisters in the Sisterhood?

Francesca’s character was written like that for a reason. She is somebody who has lived by her heart, she is driven by intense emotions, feelings, but there’s also a lot of depth and calmness about her. I don’t see her being hungry for power. I see her trying to make things all right between the father and the son and between herself and the son. And I think she, a part of her, is literally so okay with sacrificing power for her son. The fact that the son cannot become an emperor, for instance. If Francesca was not the person that she is, it would’ve been impossible for her to just give up and relinquish that need for power. Otherwise, it was very easy for her to turn around and say, I don’t care. I have a son with the emperor. I want him on the throne. And not Ynez. That would be a completely a different story altogether.

As we discussed a bit, Sister Francesca meets a very tragic end on Dune: Prophecy. Sadly, she dies in the season finale. Do you think she truly was in love with Emperor Javicco Corrino, that their relationship was real?

Absolutely. Absolutely. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have kept the Gom Jabbar away from him. And she tells him, and that’s what is most tragic, that she wants him to believe that she has not betrayed him, and he is not in the frame of mind because he’s so in love with her, and he’s so shocked with Valya’s speech about how “Francesca has betrayed you, she doesn’t love you” and all that. If there was no love, the feelings of betrayal wouldn’t be there.

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There’s a little bit of poetic irony to the fact that Empress Natalya kills Francesca with the poison needle of the Sisterhood. Do you think, in a way, that death was a fitting end for Francesca? Or not at all?

Not at all. Not at all. Not at all. It wasn’t fair at all because she was not going to use the Gom Jabbar. She wanted to help him.

If there’s a season two of Dune: Prophecy, do you think that we may be able to see you and Francesca again in flashbacks?

Tabu: Maybe, but also, only if it is important to season two. Only if there’s a curiosity about what happened with Javicco and Sister Francesca in Dune: Prophecy season two. But I don’t think so. I don’t know. We’ve sort of started and finished Francesca and Javicco’s story in these two episodes.

Dune: Prophecy season one is now streaming in full on Max.

Editor’s Note: Nerdist is a subsidiary of Legendary Digital Networks.

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DUNE: PROPHECY Season 1 Finale Explained Desmond Hart’s True Powers

Desmond Hart has a “great power,” but where exactly did it come from? That was the single biggest mystery during Dune: Prophecy‘s first season. Turns out he didn’t get it from surviving a sandworm attack on Arrakis. At least not primarily. The show’s season one finale finally revealed how that soldier of the Imperium can murder people with his mind, but that answer raised an even bigger question. Someone—or something—used thinking machines to implant computer technology inside him. That forbidden machinery allows Desmond Hart to activate a bioengineered virus that could destroy mankind.

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We don’t know if Shai-Hulud actually consumed Desmond Hart or not. It seemed as though it had, but after “The High-Handed Enemy” it’s not clear what actually happened to him that fateful day on Arrakis. We do know what happened after Hart survived his encounter with that sandworm. Someone chose him to become an unwitting tool of thinking machines and their possible human allies. (The fact Hart came in close contact with Shai-Hulud, and therefore might have had some natural abilities greattly enhanced via spice, could be why they used him as a weapon.)

After the sandworm left Desmond behind an unknown figure used thinking machines to remove Hart’s eye from his skull without detaching it. They then placed nanotech on his optic nerve. While we don’t know exactly how Hart can activate that machinery, we know what it does. Hart uses it to activate a bioengineered virus lying in wait in the amygdala of people who don’t even know they’re infected. They carry a new, modified version of the Omnius Scourge, a fatal virus that the thinking machines and a human ally used against humanity. The original version attacked livers, as Mother Raquella (via Lila) explained in episode five.

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This terrifying variation’s place on the amygdala literally turns fear into a mind killer. The series didn’t confirm how the virus spreads, but Hart seems to be patient zero who is not only activating it but infecting others with it. Him also being sick as his mother Tula said would explain why his own back burns and scars. It would also explain how the virus made its way to Wallach IX and the Sisterhood, who then all had the same visions of the “eyes” from Desmond’s procedure. He came in contact with Kasha on Selusa Secundus when he first arrived at the palace.

The more fear someone feels the more the virus burns them from the inside out. That’s how Desmond Hart killed his victims. He doesn’t have super human abilities. The thinking machines advanced nanotech activates the virus while making it seem as though its entirely Hart’s doing.

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Even with their training neither Reverend Mother Kasha nor Sister Nazir could fight the infection. Nazir knew specifically what she needed to do and still succumbed to the dangerous virus. It was only when Tula guided her sister Valya that any member of the Sisterhood learned how to defeat the virus. Valya had to let the fear wash over her rather than actually feel it.

But just because the highly-trained Valya was able to do that doesn’t mean humanity is not in existential danger from this virus. Especially when not even the Reverend Mother Superior knows who is responsible for making and spreading it. She could not see who owned and operated the thinking machines that put the nanotech in Desmond.

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Could it be a thinking machines that survived the great war without humans knowing? What about the the Ixians, the faction of humans who deal in illicit technology that Keiran Atreides bought from during season one?

Or could it be a member of the same humans who helped the robots make the original version of Omnius Scourge? It’s a notorious group Dune: Prophecy mentioned by name in its season one finale, the Tlulaxa. One of their genetic scientist helped a robot make the first version of the virus used against humanity before. The Tlulaxa is also the same group who made Sister Theodosia into a shape-shifting Face Dancer.

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Someone, something, or human and machine working together used forbidden technology to turn a soldier into a weapon. They then unleashed both him and a deadly fear virus on the Sisterhood, the Landsraad, and all of humanity. We just don’t know who, or maybe what, they are. That’s a much bigger question than how Desmond Hart got his “great power” in the first place. And it’s one only Valya Harkonnen might be able to answer.

Editor’s Note: Dune: Prophecy is a Legendary Entertainment production. Nerdist is a subsidiary of Legendary Digital Networks.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. He’s almost certainly not a secret weapon of the machines. You can follow him on Bluesky at @burgermikeOpens in a new tab. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

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Brainiac, Superman’s Second Most Important Villain, Explained

“Who is Superman’s greatest foe?” Ask anyone, and nine out of ten will say Lex Luthor. And that’s accurate; the billionaire genius has long been the Man of Steel’s most notable nemesis. But just as consistently, the alien android Brainiac has been his second most popular villain for decades. And yet, he’s never appeared in a live-action film, even after seven Superman films. Imagine if, by the time of The Dark Knight Rises, all we’d seen on screen fighting Batman was Joker and Riddler. See why it’s so absurd? But why is Brainiac so important to the Superman mythos, and thus long overdue for cinematic treatment? For that, we’ve got to get into the character’s history, which goes back to DC Comics’ Silver Age.

DC ComicsThe Silver Age Brainiac, Superman’s Alien Enemy

Superman had been around for 20 years when Brainiac first appeared on the scene, showing up in Action Comics #242 in 1958. Writer Otto Binder and artist Al Plastino created him. This was at the dawn of DC Comics’ Silver Age, an era that was a renaissance for the publisher. DC started leaning more into high-concept sci-fi, and no character leaned harder into it than Superman. Under editor Julius Schwartz, this era saw an expansion of his supporting cast, introducing Supergirl, the Legion of Super-Heroes, and Krypto the Superdog. New iconic villains with more kid-friendly appeal appeared, like Bizarro and the Phantom Zone criminals. Each of them was a true physical threat to Superman.

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Originally, Brainiac was a green-skinned alien from the planet Colu (sometimes called Byrak), who wanted to accumulate all knowledge in the universe. He miniaturized the Kryptonian city of Kandor before its destruction and attempted to do the same to Metropolis. Superman stopped him, but the alien villain nevertheless caught on with young readers. After a few more appearances over the next few years, DC revealed that Brainiac was actually an android. He was a creation of the Computer Tyrants of the planet Colu, sent out as an agent to conquer other worlds. He was given a genius-level Coluan child to raise named Vril Dox, who was given the title “Brainiac 2.” Vril’s descendant, Querl Dox, would become the Legion of Super-Heroes’ Brainiac 5 a millennia later.

Saturday Morning Cartoons Make Brainiac a TV StarDC Comics

Brainiac would plague Superman several times over the next few years. But his popularity would be cemented thanks to Saturday morning cartoons. He appeared in the 1960s Adventures of Superman series, later reappearing in several iterations of Super Friends. In 1983, Brainiac would get a modern, more menacing makeover. Instead of a green dude in short shorts and white go-go boots, he downloaded his computer consciousness into a new body. This new metal form looked like an almost insectoid skeleton. Upgraded Brainiac flew around the galaxy in a giant skull ship, and fans immediately took to the menacing new design, especially as it featured prominently in the Super Powers action figure line of the ‘80s. This Brainiac was actually scary, and posed a physical threat to Superman. But he was not to last, as DC’s reality-altering Crisis on Infinite Earths event erased the old Brainiac from continuity.

DC ComicsThe Evolution of Modern Brainiac in the Pages of Superman

The post-Crisis Brainiac was, at first, not very exciting. He was a short, middle-aged human man named Milton Fine, a carnival mentalist going by “The Amazing Brainiac.” However, his mental powers were actually real. When the alien Vril Dox was executed on the planet Colu for inciting rebellion, his consciousness connected with Fine’s, merging with his. Over the next decade, Fine would clone himself a superior body (a green one, an homage to the original), and eventually, a powerful robotic form.

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In the ‘90s, this new Brainiac became one of Superman’s most lethal enemies, one Kal-El often needed the Justice League’s help to defeat. In 2008, writer Geoff Johns revealed that all the previous Brainiacs were merely drones, or splinter aspects of the real Brainiac’s programming. The true Brainiac was an ancient being, who took design inspiration (thanks to artist Gary Frank) from the Borg Queen in Star Trek: First Contact, and the art of Alien concept designer, H.R. Giger.

DC ComicsSuperman: The Animated Series‘ Brainiac Is the Best Version

As previously mentioned, Brainiac would gain household name status thanks to the Super Friends cartoons of the ‘70s. However, his superior animated incarnation was in the 1996-2000 Superman: The Animated Series. That version broke with almost 40 years of lore, making Brainiac an A.I. from Krypton, not Colu. In fact, he was created by Superman’s father Jor-El as the computer system designed to run all of Krypton’s day-to-day functions. Gaining sentience, he allows Krypton to die, uploading himself off the planet. He builds himself a new body, when he eventually encounters Jor-El’s adult son, now Superman. This version, voiced by the great Corey Burton, had vast intellect and power, collecting knowledge from world after world, and then destroying the planet. And as he was a creation of Jor-El, he was (in a sense) Superman’s evil brother. It all worked like gangbusters. So why haven’t we seen Brainiac yet in a film?

DC ComicsA Small Screen Brainiac Appears on Smallville and Krypton, But Never in a Movie

Superman III producers considered using him for the film, before they dropped the idea for being too expensive. A live-action version did eventually appear on Smallville, in a much more human form, played by Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s James Marsters. The CW series just didn’t have the budget to do a Brainiac akin to his comic book counterpart properly. The Smallville Brainiac was an amalgamation of previous comic book and animated versions. Like in Superman: The Animated Series, he was a Kryptonian A.I. gone rogue, invented by Jor-El. His name stood for “Brain InterActive Construct,” and on Earth, he took on the human form of Milton Fine. A recurring secondary villain in Smallville, the show’s budget prevented them from ever going big with the character.

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The 2017 series Krypton would utilize the most comic book-accurate version of Brainiac in live-action thus far. In this Superman prequel series, Brainiac (Blake Ritson) is once again a Coluan “collector of worlds” who has set his sights on Krypton and the House of El. The series presented him in his alien form, a first for live-action. He even had his badass skull ship. The show only lasted two seasons, but it proved comic book-accurate Brainiac was possible on screen. But even so, fans still have never seen him fight Superman. Most recently, Superman & Lois had an appearance from Milton Fine, the human version of Brainiac from Earth. But that was more of an Easter egg than a real role.

Will James Gunn’s Superman Finally Give Us a Cinematic Brainiac?

But aside from animated films, Brainiac has never been in a Superman feature film. The movies keep going back to Lex Luthor and General Zod, seemingly on a loop. While he might have been hard to realize on screen in the ‘80s, there was nothing holding the studio back from visualizing him in the 21st century. He would have been an ideal villain for Superman Returns, or Man of Steel. But for reasons unknown, no one at Warner Bros. had wanted to pull the trigger. It’s a shame, as Brainiac has stood the test of time. He represents both a mental and physical challenge for Superman, as well as a connection to his Kryptonian past. Hopefully, James Gunn realizes that it’s high time Brainiac got his shot at being a movie villain. Rao knows, it is long overdue.

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The DC Comics History of SUPERMAN’S Mister Terrific, Explained

One of the key superhero supporting characters in James Gunn’s Superman is a relatively obscure DC Comics hero named Mister Terrific. In the film, and presumably future DCU projects, X-Men: First Class actor Edi Gathegi plays him. And unlike other heroic characters in the film like Hawkgirl, Metamorpho, or Green Lantern Guy Gardner, Mister Terrific has only been around for a relatively short time. But who is this hero with a giant “T” mask on his face? And what makes him so darn cool? Before we get into his DCU future, let’s unpack his comic book history.

DC Studios/DC ComicsMister Terrific Is a Legacy Hero

The current Mister Terrific, Michael Holt, is actually a legacy hero in the comics. The original Mister Terrific was a “Mystery Man” hero from the Golden Age of Comics named Terry Sloane. There was nothing very original about him at all, and his stories were few. Terry Sloan first appeared in Sensation Comics #1 in 1942, as a backup feature for what was Wonder Woman’s premiere series. He had no powers to speak of, but was someone who was just great at everything. You didn’t need much more than that back in the ’40s.

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Sloane graduated college at 13, was adept in every form of fighting, and one day just decided to take up crime fighting. Sure, why not? At the time, everyone else was putting on a costume and fighting crooks. His costume was famously corny, as it had the words “Fair Play” written on the front. (Not quite as intimidating as a bat.) He joined fellow Mystery Men in the Justice Society of America for a couple of issues, then went away for decades. DC brought him back simply to kill him off in an annual Justice League/Justice Society crossover in 1979.

The ’90s Introduce Us to Michael Holt, the Second Mister Terrific DC Comics

In 1997, DC decided to resurrect the name Mister Terrific with an all-new character. In an issue of The Spectre, creators John Ostrander and Tom Mandrake introduce readers to millionaire genius Michael Holt. Like Terry Sloane, he was born with a genius-level intellect that made him literally great at everything. He had 14 PhDs, he was a gold-medal-winning athlete, and was a self-made millionaire with a thriving tech company. (A tech company that he eventually sold to Bruce Wayne.) He literally had it all…until one day, he didn’t. 

After he made his pregnant wife Paula late for church one day after arguing with her about the value of religion (Holt was an atheist), she died in a car crash. Holt blamed himself for her death, and contemplated taking his own life as a result. It was then that the Spectre, a ghostly being who is an actual agent of God, appeared. He told him about the original Mister Terrific, Terry Sloane, and this inspired Holt to take up the superhero life. As an homage to the original Mister Terrific, Holt’s black leather jacket has the words “Fair Play” written in bold letters.

Mister Terrific Leads the Justice Society and the TerrificsDC Comics

The new Mister Terrific soon joined the Justice Society of America, quickly becoming its chairman. He also received the designation “Third Smartest Man in the World,” with the top two being Bruce Wayne and Lex Luthor. (Who is one and who is two is up for debate, but we’re Team Batman here.) Mister Terrific became a fixture of the DC universe, partaking in many crossover events during the 2000s. DC prominently featured him in series like Infinite Crisis and Blackest Night. During the New 52 reboot of 2011, they gave him his own short-lived solo series.

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In more recent years, Mr. Terrific became the leader of a team of heroic cosmic adventurers called The Terrifics, including Metamorpho, Plastic Man, and Phantom Girl. Explorers of the Dark Multiverse, the team was DC’s homage to Marvel’s Fantastic Four (and to a certain extent, Pixar’s The Incredibles). Their series was short-lived, lasting 30 issues from 2018-2020. However the series was critically acclaimed, and the team is still active in the DC Comics multiverse.  

Mister Terrific’s Powers and Abilities

Mister Terrific doesn’t have any superpowers to speak of, but like Batman, he’s a human character who is pretty much good at everything. Every fighting style, he’s a master of. And his intellect is almost unmatched. In fact, many see him as the JSA’s counterpart to the JLA’s Dark Knight. His main weapons are his T-spheres, floating automated spheres that can project energy blasts, hack into any computer system, create holograms, and much more.

Mister Terrific in TV and Film Warner Bros. Animation

For a relatively recent DC hero, Mister Terrific has had quite a few outside-comics media appearances. He was a member of the Justice League Unlimited cast, popping up several times on that series. He then made appearances on Beware the Batman, Justice League Action, and several DTV animated movies. In live-action, a variation of Mister Terrific appeared on Arrow, named Curtis Holt. An LGBTQ hero, his backstory was different. Nevertheless, he had several of his comic book counterpart’s attributes and a similar costume. But Superman will see the live-action debut of the Michael Holt version.

Mister Terrific’s DCU Future

According to James Gunn, Mister Terrific won’t be just a cameo in Superman. He’s a key supporting player. Of the other heroes we’ll see in Superman, Gunn says that Mister Terrific is “the main character of those characters,” adding “he actually has a big part of the plot.” The trailer shows us one scene where Mister Terrific is fending off an attack with what looks like a force field. And while Gunn insists that Superman isn’t designed to set up bigger things, the fact that Mister Terrific is in a movie with Metamorpho, his Terrifics teammate, suggests to us a Terrifics project might be in the planning stages. Regardless, it’s clear Mister Terrific has a bright future in the new DCU.

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SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 4 Already in the Works

Production companies sure take the mantra “Gotta go fast” to heart, don’t they? But here we are, on the cusp of the theatrical release of Paramount’s third Sonic the Hedgehog feature film and Variety reports the fourth film is already on the docket. And not too far away, either. Spring 2027 is the timeline we’re looking at for it. The family-friendly franchise has proven a massive hit for Paramount, coming after the first film’s disastrous initial teaser led to some tinkering in the design department. It’s proven a very good move.

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The first two films have a global box office take of just over $725 million worldwide and over $180 million in merch. That’s not nothing, especially for relatively small budgeted family films. Granted, neither were as successful as The Super Mario Bros. which alone raked in $1.3 billion. But hey, Sonic ain’t Mario. At any rate, the Sonic movies, plus Paramount+’s Knuckles spinoff series, have given Paramount and Sega plenty of franchise juice. Or rings? Whatever metaphor makes sense.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 from director Jeff Fowler (who directed the first two as well) pits Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails against new enemy, Shadow the Hedgehog, as well as their ongoing nemesis Doctor Robotnik. Jim Carrey is back as the mustachioed, shout-prone Dr. Robotnik while Keanu Reeves assays the role of new villain Shadow the Hedgehog. Ben Schwartz, Colleen O’Shaughnessey, and Idris Elba are also back as Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles, respectively. It hits theaters this weekend.

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. He hosts the weekly pop culture deep-dive podcast Laser Focus. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd.

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DUNE: PROPHECY Is Renewed for Season 2 at HBO

Happy holidays! For those who were worried that after Dune: Prophecy season one aired its finale this week, there wouldn’t be enough Dune content to look forward to, fear not. Dune: Prophecy has been officially renewed for season 2 at HBO and Max. HBO and Legendary’s Dune: Prophecy tells the story of the Bene Gesserit before they became the fully formed shadow organization we see in the Dune movies. Those who have watched Dune: Prophecy so far will know the show is an incredibly complicated series, full of psychological twists, political machinations, horror, suspense, and also many very human emotions. And we, for one, have very much enjoyed it. (You can check out our season one recaps here)

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Making Dune: Prophecy so stellar is its leading cast of Emily Watson and Olivia Williams. And we’ll be very happy to see more of them on our screens now that Dune: Prophecy‘s renewal at HBO has been confirmed. Additionally, the Dune series does an excellent job balancing incorporating aspects of Dune‘s rich and nuanced lore while also building its own story. It invites you into a dense world, but one that you won’t be overwhelmed by.

Speaking of the Dune: Prophecy season two renewal Sarah Aubrey, Head of Max Original Programming, shares, “DUNE: PROPHECY has captivated audiences around the globe thanks to the visionary leadership of showrunner and executive producer Alison Schapker, who will continue to guide this grand tale of truth and power. We are incredibly grateful to our partners at Legendary and to our extraordinary cast and crew for their service to the Imperium. We’re excited to collaborate with this team again to see what they have in store.”
 

Meanwhile, Jason Clodfelter, Legendary’s President of Television, offers the following about Dune: Prophecy season two, “This new season will allow us to continue building out the groundbreaking, epic DUNE franchise that has captivated audiences worldwide across its installments. We look forward to continuing our incredible partnership with HBO and are thrilled for Alison Schapker, her team, and the cast and crew who have worked so passionately to bring this world-class source material from Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson to life.”

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Dune: Prophecy‘s season synopsis shares:

From the expansive universe of Dune, created by acclaimed author Frank Herbert, and 10,000 years before the ascension of Paul Atreides, Dune: Prophecy follows two Harkonnen sisters as they combat forces that threaten the future of humankind and establish the fabled sect that will become known as the Bene Gesserit. Dune: Prophecy is inspired by the novel Sisterhood of Dune, written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. 

Dune: Prophecy season one will air its finale on December 22 at 9pm ET/PT. The rest of Dune: Prophecy‘s episodes are now streaming on Max. It’s the perfect show to catch up on during the holidays if you’re so inclined. Especially now that we know for sure that Dune: Prophecy has been renewed and will continue its story in season two, and you won’t have to worry about any cliffhangers.

Editor’s Note: Nerdist is a subsidiary of Legendary Digital Networks.

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Eiichiro Oda and Iñaki Godoy Talk Season 2 of ONE PIECE (And Tease Mr. 3’s Hair)

The time has finally come to set sail for more adventure and dream-chasing. One Piece season two has officially begun production and is one step closer to coming back onto our screens. Netflix revealed, that, of course, our Straw Hat pirates would all be returning for One Piece season two—but not alone. In addition to a host of new characters joining the cast, a few other familiar faces from season one will be back in One Piece‘s second season. Namely, Alvida, Buggy, and Gold Roger will once again be in the mix of One Piece‘s live-action story.

Let’s take a look at everything Netflix has shared to celebrate One Piece season two.

Eiichiro Oda and Iñaki Godoy Talk Season 2 of One Piece

Our esteemed creator, Eiichiro Oda, and the captain of our ship, Iñaki Godoy, met to have a very special conversation (in Japanese!) In it, they teased live-action One Piece‘s season two and got us excited about what’s in store. Among other things, Oda and Godoy discussed the upcoming adventures in The Grand Line, which include harsh seas, giants, and bounty hunters. They also discussed why Luffy is such an iconic hero and gave us some brief glimpses of One Piece season two’s set. You can check out the exciting conversation below.

Netflix’s Live-Action ONE PIECE Season 2 Teases Chopper

First look at Chopper in OnePiece live action season 2 pic.twitter.com/k3wyIKnMBO

— Pew (@pewpiece) September 20, 2024

During Geeked Week, Netflix shared a sneak peek at live-action One Piece season two… And this inside look included a tease at fan-favorite Chopper. We, as they say, are seated.

Netflix

You can check out the full table read video, below.

Jeff Ward Takes Us on a Set Tour of One Piece Season 2

Jeff Ward, who plays Buggy the Clown, on One Piece, and will return for season two, takes on a behind-the-scenes tour of the show in celebration of Netflix’s Geeked Week. This tour gives us our best look yet at the world of One Piece season two. Although, of course, spoilers are carefully blurred. Ward shows us the costume department, the prop department, hair and makeup, and production design. Of course, there are some tantalizing hints to be gleaned. The video notes we’ll be visiting Drum Island, where it’s winter all the time, a challenge for One Piece’s South African-based filming location.

NetflixNetflix

We even get to see inside Twin Cape lighthouse, which is the home of One Piece‘s Doctor Crocus. Additionally, in the props department, we see a giant syringe…

Netflix

Eiichiro Oda Teases Season 2 Story Arcs and More New CharactersNetflix

A letter from Eiichiro Oda delivered via Netflix has shed a lot of light on the story arcs we can expect in season two and more about the upcoming episodes. In the letter Oda notes that “The story will cover Loguetown, Reverse Mountain (Twin Cape), Whiskey Peak, Little Garden, and Drum Island!” Additionally, he teases Vivi, Miss All Sunday, Chopper, and more casting announcements are on the way.

The full text of the note is below:

Yes, the live-action One Piece is currently in production, with filming well underway. The story will cover Loguetown, Reverse Mountain (Twin Cape), Whiskey Peak, Little Garden, and Drum Island! Think about it. Imagine how much it’ll cost! Lol. But whether it’s the script or the cast, I continue to insist on this or that, which makes Matt the Showrunner go “Aaarrgh!” and Netflix go “Noooo!” and Tomorrow Studios go “Whaaaat” as they all pull their hairs out. All that, even though we grew so close making season 1.

But it’s because we all share the same passion for this show! Just as with last season, they’ve gone out of their way to promise that they won’t put the show out until I’m satisfied. This isn’t in the contract, you know. It’s a verbal pledge. I hope you can appreciate how amazing and determined they are for keeping their word. And they’ve certainly proven their ability to bring this world to the screen. I just can’t wait to see it! 

Meanwhile, the previously announced cast is compiled on the official X account, so go check it out. The Grand Line is an even more expansive “World”. You may wonder, what was the inspiration behind that kingdom? How would it connect to the real world? Naturally, the distinctive cast members have been assembled from around the world, and I can’t help but get excited thinking about how the adventure has already begun! 

Among those yet to be announced, what about Vivi? And Miss All Sunday? What’re they doing with Chopper? We can’t announce everyone all at once, but starting tomorrow, we’ll be announcing more cast members over three days: August 21, 22 and 23. 

Look out for those, and stay tuned for more exciting updates to come!

One Piece Teases Season 2, Episode 1

We don’t know the exact plot of live-action One Piece‘s season two. But we do know the title of its first episode. One Piece season two, episode one will be called, “The Beginning and the End.” It will be written by Matt Owens and Ian Stokes. We’re ready to hear all the fan theories about what that title implies.

NetflixOne Piece‘s Main Cast Reunite as Production Begins

As Taz Skylar notes, these are happy tears! And what a glorious reunion it is. The Straw Hat Pirates have all traveled to Cape Town, South Africa, to film the next chapter of their One Piece adventure. Iñaki Godoy (Monkey D. Luffy), Mackenyu (Zoro), Emily Rudd (Nami), Jacob Romero (Usopp) and Taz Skylar (Sanji) are all back together again once more as production begins for One Piece season two. We absolutely feel the love and crew bond between them all.

One Piece Season 2 Cast, Revealed Netflix

In a release celebrating season two’s production started, Netflix also shared that additional returning One Piece cast include “Ilia Isorelys Paulino as Alvida, Jeff Ward as Buggy, and Michael Dorman as Gold Roger.” Jeff Ward’s Buggy was a true fan-favorite, so it’s no surprise he’ll be back. No word yet on other season one standouts like Steven John Ward, who played Dracule Mihawk, or Peter Gadiot, who played Luffy’s red-headed mentor, Shanks. But hey, they still could be back. Netflix reveals that additional One Piece cast will be announced at a later date.

Of course, in addition to old One Piece favorites, “new cast members joining season two include Brendan Sean Murray as Brogy, Callum Kerr as Smoker, Camrus Johnson as Mr. 5, Clive Russell as Crocus, Daniel Lasker as Mr. 9, David Dastmalchian as Mr. 3, Jazzara Jaslyn as Miss Valentine, Julia Rehwald as Tashigi, Rob Colletti as Wapol, Ty Keogh as Dalton, and Werner Coetser as Dorry.” You can learn more about these new One Piece season two characters with our piece, here.

NetflixWhen Live Action Will One Piece Season 2 Release?

There’s no word yet on any release date for One Piece season two. But now that production on the show has started again, we’re sure we’ll get many more tantalizing treasures from Netflix sooner rather than later.

Originally published on July 1

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28 YEARS LATER: THE BONE TEMPLE, Another 28 DAYS LATER Sequel, Is Coming in January 2026

As the old saying goes, you shouldn’t put the cart before the horse. That basically means let things work themselves out in a natural order versus jumping ahead and doing too much. That’s kinda what Sony is doing with 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, a sequel to 28 Years Later, itself a sequel which doesn’t come out until June 20, 2025. 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple will release on January 16, 2026 and Nia DaCosta will direct the film. (Thank you to Deadline for bringing this to our attention!)

Sony Pictures

Of course, we don’t know anything else about this sequel nor who will star in it. We suppose that at least a couple of characters will make it out alive in 28 Years Later and star in 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple. Or, it could be a completely new cast once again telling yet another story in this universe. Based on the name, it seems that it will take place very shortly after the events of 28 Years Later, maybe even at the same time.

We suppose the studio is super confident that this film will be a success and are wanting to go ahead and get another film in. But we saw what happened with Exorcist: Believer, which was supposed to kick off a trilogy but sequels were cancelled after its bad reviews. Let’s see if they are making a smart call or not.

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Philippa Boyens Talks the Future of THE LORD OF THE RINGS Movies and Naming a Tolkien Character in THE WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim brought The Lord of the Rings back to theaters after almost a decade. And it was fitting ride back onto the big screen. Philippa Boyens, who has had an extensive hand in shaping the cinematic world of The Lord of the Rings, alongside collaborates Fran Walsh and Peter Jackson, was an incredibly hand’s on executive producer of this movie. Nerdist had the chance to speak to Boyens about all things The War of the Rohirrim, but also about the future of The Lord of the Rings movies and adventures.

Warner Bros.

You can check out our full interview with Philippa Boyens below.

You got to name a Tolkien character in The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim; what was the process of settling on the name, Hèra?

Philppa Boyens: That was actually Fran Walsh. I’ve got to give her credit, but I mean, I was the one I knew that it needed to be an “H” because we have Helm, Hama, Haleth, and then for quite a while, I have to say, for fair few weeks, it was like Helga, Hilda, Hahhh. And I was out in the garden actually, because we are neighbors, Fran and I, we were out with the dogs, and I was saying, “We just can’t find her.” And she looked at me, and she said, “What about Hèra?” And she said, “After our Viking,” and I knew what she meant immediately. Our Viking is Hera Hilma, who is a brilliant Icelandic actress that we got to work with on Mortal Engines. And as soon as she said that, it was just like, “Of course, that name.” It’s such a beautiful name. So yeah, that’s how she became Hèra.

Hèra is a young woman rising from namelessness to carrying her own Tolkien tale. What was really important for you to feature in that character?

Boyens: We wanted her to feel real, strangely enough. I mean, which is kind of a weird thing to say because she’s an animated character. She’s in a fantasy world, but Kenji Kamiyama, I don’t know, he’s some kind of magician. Somehow he manages to make those characters feel real. I also have to give credit to Gaia Wise, who voices her. We worked with Gaia over a span of three years, and genuinely there’s her DNA in that character. I can tell you a quick little story. She turned up to record one day, we were recording in London. I think we’d already laid down the first voice tracks, and then some animation had started coming through. And we’d come back to London, and now she was getting to revoice, and we had some new lines, et cetera, to picture. But she turned up, and she’d been knocked off her bike, and she had blood coming down her leg. And I was like a mother hen, immediately. And she was like, “No, no, it’s fine. It’s fine. Let’s go, let’s go.” And I was like, “Oh my God, that’s Hèra.”

Warner Bros.

Did you learn any interesting facts about Rohan that you hadn’t known before while you were creating this movie?

Boyens: That’s an interesting question. I think I had to relearn some facts, for sure. Yes, yes, I did actually. Actually, if you go back far enough, you find out who the first Haleth was. And the very first Haleth was not a man, it was a woman.

Actually, that story, if you have a look at that particular character, is really, really interesting. Sort of an ancestor, but not really an ancestor, if you know what I mean. Yeah, interesting character. But yeah, I did learn that.

And what was your favorite edition that you made to the lore of Rohan through The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim?

Boyens: I think, well, Hèra, I mean, she’s not really an addition because she does exist. She is an unnamed character in that story. I kind of have to admit, I have a soft spot for two particular orcs who creep down from the White Mountains.

In the book, we know from what Professor Tolkien wrote that many of the Dunlendings were fearful of Helm and the way he would fall upon them in the night. And that you’d hear the sound of the horn in the deep, and the superstition arose that he wasn’t human anymore, that he was a wraith. And even that he was eating the bodies. And what I loved about that, was that I immediately thought, “Well, he is not eating the bodies, so who is eating the bodies?” And so the orcs.

Warner Bros.

Hèra, a few times in the movie, proclaims sentiments like “I am a bride to no man.” I know that kind of echos of Éowyn’s “I am no man,” but to me, pronouncements like that have a kind of elemental queerness to them. Was there ever any discussion or thought of that with Hera

Boyens: In terms of her not wanting to marry him, that sort of thing? Yeah. Where does her heart lie?

Yes!

Boyens: No, honestly, legitimately, no. And I think this is the interesting thing in terms of that, that is the beauty of what you can do with Professor Tolkien because I think there’s an accessibility to these characters that you can have, and you can try and make them as real as possible. But I can tell you we did go and look back on some histories, medieval histories, to sort of make sure she was feeling authentic. And there are many times you can find women who refuse to marry. They did not want to marry. And some of them paid a price for that choice. There is actually quite a surprising number of historical women characters who said, “No, I’m not marrying any man.” It’s interesting, an interesting perspective. And I would say to that, I would say, “Why not?” Maybe! But also, we can never know.

Unless we see Hèra again.

Boyens: Yes, exactly. Exactly. I do love that relationship between the two women, though. Because Olwyn’s so not motherly. She’s so brilliantly done by Lorraine Ashbourne. She loves this child who is not her own, but there’s not much that’s motherly about it.

They’re more kindred, almost.

Boyens: Yeah. The link between the two of them is that lineage, that Dhieldmaiden lineage.

Warner Bros.

Many villains in The Lord of the Rings‘ world are kind of supernatural creatures of evil, but Wulf is a human bad guy. How do you feel having a human villain is different from a supernatural one?

Boyens: It was actually really, really good. I have to say it was really enjoyable. Even Denathor has been influenced supernaturally by the Palantír and Sauron. So yeah, this is purely driven by human emotions, and he is a fantastic character. He’s one of my favorite characters.

And what makes him one of my favorite characters, is this. And this was us expanding upon what was in the book, which is that in the beginning, he’s not without cause. If you imagine that Rohirrim are governed by consent, it means that Helm Hammerhands’s right to rule is not not divine. It’s through his people, which actually puts a bit of tension under the line of Helm.

Kamiyama-san chose to create Haleth as this incredibly powerful young warrior. So you would feel like and assume that the line of Helm is in good hands. It’s fully established. And it’s interesting that Helm himself, and I know this intrigued, Brian Cox, Helm himself believes that his duty to his daughter is to protect her but it is in his sons that his line resides. And his journey to understanding and seeing her in a different way is really interesting, I think.

But yeah, I think she’s a character that allows us to experience this conflict in a completely different way. And so what we thought would be interesting is if we’re seeing things through the eyes of Hèra, how would she feel it was her childhood friend who came to her and put her in that position? I love that. I mean, it’s awkward, but it’s great for storytelling.

I love the scene between the two of them and the tower.

Warner Bros.

Then, of course, there was some fun The Lord of the Rings references. Did you always know you wanted to include Saruman? And when did you kind of know you would add in Christopher Lee’s voice?

Boyens: That happened fairly early on. We weren’t actually writing the script, we were literally structuring the story. I had thought, okay, we wanted this to be a standalone story, but we also wanted on the periphery of it, we wanted the world of the live-action films to be there. To have those echoes in there.

And I was thinking, well, which character would legitimately be able to turn up in this story? Obviously, Gandalf potentially could have, but if you actually look at the appendices, it’s Saruman. This is around this time that he enters Orthanc, and it is around this time that he makes his connection with Fréaláf Hildeson. So yeah, I thought that he was the right person.

So then I went to Peter Jackson. Because Peter, he had a great affection for Christopher Lee. They had a lovely relationship right to the end. And I said to him, “What do you think?” And he smiled, and I think he said, “Yeah, I think Christopher would want to be in the film,” which I thought was a lovely way to put it. And so then we reached out to Lady Lee, who is now sadly no longer with us. But she said exactly the same thing. She said, “Oh yes, he would want to be in the film.” And then what we needed to do was to make sure we were using his voice. Because I think the studio suggested, “Do you want to find a voice alike?” And I think they may even have auditioned a few actors, but you could undoubtedly find someone who could “do” Christopher Lee’s voice, but not really. No one else can do that.

We know The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum is coming, and maybe potentially some other things. Is there anything you can tease about the expansion of the world after The War of the Rohirrim?

Boyens: We are actually, as I speak to you, we’re in the midst of writing The Hunt for Gollum. It’s actually been a lot of fun. It’s really interesting. It’s in bits and pieces at the moment, just so you know. It’s spread out literally over my dining table. But it’s interesting how much story is left to be told, which is number one. And two, when you excavate some of those moments, when you go into them, because it’s a few lines that Professor Tolkien provides us with, or a few clues that he provides us with in the text. And when you go into them, it’s like, we know Strider captures Gollum in the Dead Marshes. How does he pick up his scent? How does he find his trail, how does it happen? Do you know? I don’t know at the moment.

William Morrow

Is there a sort of just personal, like a white whale Tolkien story that if you could just tell anything tomorrow that you would want to tell?

Boyens: Yes, yes, yes, there is. It has, my heart always has. I think the story of Beren and Lúthien is just magnificent. It is like the precursor of so much that comes after. But listen, I completely understand and respect the estate, and I think it may end up being other minds who may have to tell that story. And if they do, I’ll be the first in line to see it.

And just as a hardcore fan of the elves, I have to ask, would you ever imagine an elf movie? I would love to see one.

Boyens: Well, I knew why we swapped out Glorfindel for our women and why we needed to do that because he would’ve just appeared and kind of gone nowhere in the storytelling. But he’s an interesting character.

Oh yes, yes. Celebrían, her story. That would be an interesting story because she’s kind of a mystery; exactly what happened there, right?

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim releases in theaters on December 13.

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