‘Dune: The Sisterhood’: Jon Spaihts Exits As Showrunner Of HBO Max Series

Denise Petski

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Jon Spaihts has stepped down as showrunner of HBO Max’s drama series Dune: The Sisterhood, Deadline has confirmed.

Spaihts will remain as an executive producer on the series, we hear, and now will focus on writing the script for the new Dune feature film.

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Dune: The Sisterhood, based on Frank Herbert’s classic novel Dune and the popular sci-fi franchise it spawned, received a straight-to-series order from the upcoming WarnerMedia streaming service in June. The series is designed to co-exist with the Dune movie, which is in production at Warner Bros, as part of Legendary’s comprehensive plans for Dune that also include video games, digital content packages and comic book series.

Herbert’s Dune portrays a future in which humanity has spread across the galaxy to thousands of worlds, all ruled by the Padishah Emperor, The Imperium. Dune: The Sisterhood explores this universe through the eyes of a mysterious order of women: the Bene Gesserit. Given extraordinary abilities by their mastery of the body and the mind, the Bene Gesserit expertly weave through the feudal politics and intrigue of The Imperium, pursuing plans of their own that ultimately will lead them to the enigmatic planet Arrakis — known to its inhabitants as Dune.

Denis Villeneuve, who is directing, co-writing and producing the new Dune film, also is set to executive produce the series and direct its pilot episode. He and Spaihts executive produce the series with Brian Herbert, Byron Merritt and Kim Herbert for the Frank Herbert estate. Kevin J Anderson will co-produce.

The Hollywood Reporter was first to report Spaiht’s exit as showrunner.

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