Dune: Prophecy’s epic new trailer comes with an imminent release date

If you feel like HBO has been planning the rollout for Dune: Prophecy in centuries, you’re not too far off. The series was greenlit all the way back in 2019, and we’ve been conserving every last drop of information about the series since. But the wait is almost over; HBO shared the first trailer today during their panel at New York Comic Con, and finally, officially dated the series’ premiere: November 17, airing linearly on HBO and streaming on Max. The first season will have six episodes. 

This new trailer feels similarly epic in scale to the recent films, if without the Denis Villeneuve fingerprints. Set 10,000 years before the events of Dune, showrunner Alison Shepke described the setting as “a time of great rebuilding” during her NYCC appearance. There are new schools of thought arising, one of which is the Bene Gesserit, which will be the focus of the series. 

Elsewhere in the panel, Dune: Prophecy‘s cast and crew teased some of what we can expect from this world, which sounds a bit more libertine than the one depicted in the films. Specifically, we’ll see some recreational spice use, and more sandworms (though don’t expect to see them with riders this season). Series star Olivia Williams also teased some of the science that the Bene Gesserit are discovering; specifically, “We look at if fear can be generated on a bacterial level.” Hey, it is the mind-killer after all. 

Though Dune: Prophecy is a prequel to the events depicted in the Villeneuve films, it’s part of a growing trend of sandwiching a TV series in between main tentpole films. Disney has dabbled with it in both their Star Wars and Marvel franchises, and Warner Bros. Discover is currently doing with The Penguin, which will connect to 2026’s The Batman Part II. Dune: Prophecy presumably won’t be as mandatory to watch before whenever Dune Part 3 arrives but will probably earn its keep with some additional lore about the Atradies family. Savor it; Dune: Part 3 is two years away, at minimum.

This story has been updated with new information out of New York Comic Con.