'The Sisterhood': 'Dune' Spinoff Series Hires Diane Ademu-John To Take Over As Showrunner

WarnerMedia loves the idea of making a franchise film and then immediately spinning it off into a series on HBO Max. Executives have said this much in interviews, and we’ve already seen this being put into action with “Peacemaker” being spun off of “The Suicide Squad.” And soon, it’s going to happen with “Dune.” That is, if the new showrunner for the spinoff series sticks around.

READ MORE: ‘Dune’ Trailer: Timothée Chalamet Is Called To Lead In An Epic Sci-Fi Tale Of Family Dynasty

According to Variety, Diane Ademu-John has been hired to take over as writer, producer, and showrunner of “Dune: The Sisterhood,” the first spinoff series from Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune” feature. The series is expected to be a prequel that tells the story of the mysterious, powerful order of the Bene Gesserit. A formidable force in the world of Frank Herbert’s “Dune,” the Bene Gesserit are an all-female group of mystical, somewhat magical influencers that are often seen as one of the strongest political forces in the universe. As you might imagine, that’s prime storytelling territory.

Previously, Ademu-John worked as a writer for series such as “The Haunting of Bly Manor,” “Empire,” and “The Originals.” Before she joined ‘The Sisterhood,” screenwriter Jon Spaihts was attached to showrun the “Dune” spinoff after he wrote the script for Villeneuve’s new feature. However, he left the TV series reportedly so that he could write the script for the “Dune” sequel.

READ MORE: WB Executives Confirm ‘Dune’ Won’t Have An Exclusive Theatrical Window, Despite Reports To The Contrary

Of course, there’s a lot of questions looming around “Dune,” primarily about the financial implications of the news that WarnerMedia is releasing the film in theaters at the same time as HBO Max. Villeneuve is concerned that the move will doom the franchise potential with the limited box office take that is almost guaranteed. However, with development on ‘The Sisterhood’ moving forward now, it’s clear WarnerMedia still has high hopes for the new franchise.

READ MORE: ‘Dune’ Co-Writer Jon Spaihts Leaves ‘Sisterhood’ Spin-Off Series As HBO Max Looks For New Showrunner

Adding to the financial, behind-the-scenes intrigue of “Dune” is the recent news that Legendary, the studio behind the film, is now on the market, hoping to be purchased. So, keep an eye on that, as a possible wrinkle to this growing story.