Prime Video’s Upcoming Sci-Fi Miniseries Will Show Dune How It’s Done

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As a huge sci-fi fan, I was really looking forward to HBO’s Dune: Prophecy – I love Frank Herbert’s novels and Denis Villeneuve’s films. Sadly, it ended up being a major disappointment for me this year. Now, I’m actually more excited about Prime Video’s Blade Runner 2099. It looks like it might show everyone how to properly adapt a beloved sci-fi movie into a great TV series – something Dune: Prophecy just didn’t manage to do.

Dune: Prophecy is set incredibly far in the past – 10,000 years before Paul Atreides is even born – making it feel quite separate from the stories we already know. The war against artificial intelligence, which was only shown quickly in the show’s opening, would have actually been a more compelling story for a TV series.

HBO has ordered a second season of Dune: Prophecy, scheduled to arrive in 2026 after new seasons of Euphoria, House of the Dragon, and a return from Larry David. However, another streaming series based on a popular science fiction franchise appears to have even greater potential than Dune: Prophecy season two.

Dune: Prophecy Failed To Live Up To The Denis Villeneuve Movies

Denis Villeneuve successfully brought Frank Herbert’s notoriously difficult novel, Dune, to life on the big screen. The first film expertly introduced the complex world and characters, and the second delivered the exciting conclusion fans hoped for. I was especially excited to see the Dune universe expand with a new drama series on HBO.

Unlike many recent HBO spin-offs like The Penguin and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, Dune: Prophecy didn’t live up to expectations. It suffered from a common problem in modern TV: characters explicitly state their feelings instead of letting the story show them. It felt as though the show was overly explaining everything, possibly to cater to viewers who aren’t fully engaged, a trend seen in shows like The Last of Us and House of the Dragon.

While the Dune: Prophecy series had a standout episode – a compelling forbidden romance reminiscent of Romeo and Juliet between characters from the Atreides and Harkonnen families – the show overall was disappointing, particularly given the high quality of the Dune films.

I likely won’t watch the second season of Dune: Prophecy when it comes out later this year, unless the reviews are amazing and say it’s as good as the movies. However, I’m really looking forward to another sci-fi series connected to a Denis Villeneuve film: Blade Runner 2099. It’s been in development for a while and is almost here.

Blade Runner 2099 Stands A Better Chance Of Replicating Its Franchise’s Big Screen Success

Both the second season of Dune: Prophecy and Amazon’s Blade Runner TV show, officially titled Blade Runner 2099 (following the naming convention of Denis Villeneuve’s sequel), are expected to debut in 2026. Of these two streaming series based on Villeneuve’s films, Blade Runner 2099 is generating the most anticipation.

Compared to Dune: Prophecy, Blade Runner 2099 has a more compelling starting idea, boasts a skilled cast and crew, and has greater potential for future storylines. Thankfully, the original director, Ridley Scott, is involved as an executive producer – similar to his role with last year’s Alien: Earth – ensuring the project is in good hands.

The new series, Blade Runner 2099, features Michelle Yeoh, who won an Oscar for Everything Everywhere All at Once, as Olwen, a replicant nearing the end of her life. The role promises a lot of emotional depth for Yeoh, exploring themes like consciousness, death, and inner conflict. She’ll be joined by Hunter Schafer, known for her role as Jules in Euphoria, in what’s expected to be a standout performance.

Unlike Dune: Prophecy, which has to follow a set history, Blade Runner 2099 isn’t limited by what came before, taking place after the original films. This suggests it could be a stronger spin-off from director Denis Villeneuve.

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2026-04-04 22:18