‘Dune: Prophecy’ and ‘The Penguin’ are the latest shows to be rebranded as HBO Originals after the IT prequel series, Lanterns, and Harry Potter. All these shows were Max Originals. Both these upcoming shows will now premiere on both HBO as well as on the Max streaming service.
According to some reports, the CEO of HBO, Casey Bloys, wanted to shift ‘Dune: Prophecy’ and ‘The Penguin’ to HBO from the Max streaming service. However, the latest strategy has given both shows simultaneous release on both platforms.
Serving as a prequel to Denis Villeneuve’s Dune (2021), ‘Dune: Prophecy’ will explore the origins of the Bene Gesserit, an exclusive and powerful sisterhood possessing superhuman abilities after undergoing rigorous mental conditioning and physical training. The series’ events will take place 10,000 years before the first movie, which itself took inspiration from Frank Herbert’s 1965 novel of the same name. Legendary Television has produced the series along with Cunning Hand and Annabelita Films. It stars Emily Watson, Travis Fimmel, Olivia Williams, Jade Anouka, Mark Strong, Jodhi May, Chris Mason, Josh Heuston, and Tabu.
‘The Penguin’ will serve as a spin-off to Matt Reeves’ The Batman (2022), starring Robert Pattinson and Zoe Kravitz. Led by Colin Farrell, the series will focus on the rise of Oswald “Oz” Cobblepot, aka The Penguin, in Gotham City’s criminal underworld. The protagonist will try to take control of the city, given that Gotham has no ruler after Carmine Falcone died in The Batman. The rest of the show’s cast consists of talents like Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz, Michael Kelly, Clancy Brown, Carmen Ejogo, and more. Stay tuned for more updates.