Tula Harkonnen
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- Mentats of Dune
- 2014
Emma Canning (young)
| Tula Harkonnen | |
|---|---|
| Dune: Prophecy character | |
.png) Olivia Williams in the 2024 television series | |
| First appearance |
|
| Created by | Brian Herbert & Kevin J. Anderson |
| Portrayed by | Olivia Williams Emma Canning (young) |
| In-universe information | |
| Species | Human |
| Gender | Female |
| Title | Reverend Mother |
| Affiliation | Sisterhood (Bene Gesserit) |
| Significant others | Orry Atreides |
| Children | Desmond Hart |
| Relatives |
|
Tula Harkonnen is a fictional character in the 2024 HBO science fiction television series Dune: Prophecy, portrayed by Olivia Williams. She is a Reverend Mother of the Sisterhood, a secretive and powerful matriarchal order whose members undergo intense physical training and mental conditioning to obtain superhuman abilities. Set in Frank Herbert's Dune universe, ten thousand years before the events of his 1965 novel Dune, the series follows Tula and her sister, Valya Harkonnen (Emily Watson), as they combat forces that threaten humanity's future, and shape the Sisterhood's evolution into the Bene Gesserit order.
Tula first appears in the Great Schools of Dune (2012–2016) prequel trilogy of novels by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson.
Development and casting
In June 2019, Legendary Television announced a full series order of Dune: The Sisterhood,[1][2] a series in development which would focus on the Bene Gesserit order and serve as a prequel to Denis Villeneuve's 2021 film adaptation Dune.[3] It was further explained that the series "follows two Harkonnen sisters as they combat forces that threaten the future of humankind, and establish the fabled sect that will become known as the Bene Gesserit."[4]
Shirley Henderson was originally cast as Tula Harkonnen, alongside Emily Watson as her sister Valya Harkonnen, in October 2022,[5] but left the series during an extended production hiatus in February 2023.[6][7] The role of Tula was recast with Olivia Williams in June 2023.[6] Emma Canning was later cast as the younger version of Tula.[8] The series was retitled Dune: Prophecy in November 2023.[9][10]
Description
In the series, Tula Harkonnen is a Reverend Mother in the Sisterhood, a powerful social, religious, and political force whose members possess superhuman powers and abilities by undergoing years of intense physical and mental conditioning.[11][12] Among these are the abilities to detect lies, and to use their voices to control the behavior of others.[11] She is also the younger sister of Valya Harkonnen, the leader of the Sisterhood.[13] This secretive, matriarchal order also continues to acquire power and influence as a means to direct the Imperium, and thereby humanity, on the path they have set for it.[14][15]
Showrunner Alison Schapker said, "Valya Harkonnen and Tula Harkonnen share a past and certain trauma, and have a dynamic that's very specific to that family. And there is a bit of an older sibling, younger sibling dynamic. There is a bit of that relatable older sibling driving things overtly, and younger sibling feeling maybe a bit diminished or in the shadow of."[13] Watson explained, "They both have secrets that they are bound together by their past and things that are really deeply, deeply and profoundly shocking that other people don't necessarily know about them. But also, Valya has always been the leader, she's always been the eldest who's brought Tula along with her. But Tula is the quiet one and is extremely surprising."[13] Williams said, "There's a terrible, terrible loss in Tula's past, which is entirely due to her lack of confidence in herself, and a form of self-loathing that leads her to do something dreadful and unthinkable."[16]
