The Rotten Tomatoes score forDune: Prophecyhas taken a turn for the negative. The HBO series is the latest installment in the new live-action science fiction franchise adapted from the classic 1965 Frank Herbert novel which kicked off with Denis Villeneuve’s 2021 movieDuneand his 2024 sequelPart Two. TheDune: Prophecycastincludes Emily Watson, Olivia Williams, Travis Fimmel, Jodhi May, Aoife Hinds, Mark Strong, and Sarah-Sofie Boussnina, bringing to life the origin story of the powerful religious group known as the Bene Gesserit.
Now that two episodes from the six-episode season 1 ofDune: Prophecyhave aired and more user reviews have been added,Rotten Tomatoeshas aggregated a new audience score for the show on the Popcornmeter. While the critic score on the Tomatometer is a Fresh 68%,the audience score has now slipped below the Rotten threshold at 59%. This score comes from more than 500 user reviews, compared to the 75 critic reviews that the platform has compiled.
What This Means For Dune: Prophecy
The Show Has Hit A New Low
Users’Dune: Prophecyreviewshave now earned the show the first Rotten score of Denis Villeneuve’s franchise, either from critics or from audiences. It is also one of the worst scores of the entire extended franchise, which includes David Lynch’s 1984 adaptation and two television adaptations from the early 2000s. Although the 1984 movie’s Tomatometer score is the worst of the franchise at 36%,Prophecyhas now officially earnedthe first Rotten audience score of the entire series. See a breakdown of the scores of all the movies and television shows below:
36%
65%
74%
80%
88%
83%
90%
92%
95%
68%
59%
The negative reviews that the show has earned aregenerally calling the show boring and criticizing its deliberate pacing. Many have also negatively compared it to the HBO fantasy hitGame of Thrones, saying thatDune: Prophecyis trying too hard to mimic the aesthetic and storytelling style of that previous show. This is a sharp turnaround from viewers' intense investment in the epic story told over the course of 5 hours and 21 minutes in the original duology from which the show is a spinoff.
Our Take On The Dune: Prophecy Audience Score
There Is Still Time For It To Change
It remains to be seen if the Rotten Tomatoes score becomes Fresh again by the end of the season, which concludes on December 22. This score had dipped to Rotten before the release ofDune: Prophecyepisode 3, which isonly the halfway point of the season. If the remaining four episodes win audiences over, a more glowing reaction could still be within the realm of possibility. Though if it remains Rotten, it seems unlikely that HBO will renew season 2 unless the viewership is strong enough to overcome the general audience response.
Dune: Prophecyairs on HBO on Sundays at 9:00 p.m. ET.
What makes this slippage in ratings so fickle, however, is that59% is only 1% lower than a Fresh audience rating, meaning there’s plenty of room for it to fluctuate up or down over the rest of the season.Positive reviews forDune: Prophecyepisode 3could mean a similar response from audiences, who could permanently elevate the percentage of Fresh reviews from their statistics. However, since critics have been praising the series much more on average, future episodes could also cause that number to get even lower.
All 6 Houses & Factions In Dune: Prophecy Explained
Dune: Prophecy includes many Houses and factions from the source material, some that link heavily to Denis Villeneuve’s two Dune movies.
For now, though, by teetering on the brink between Fresh and Rotten, the prequel series still has time to win over a larger audience who enjoys the series. Pacing seems to be a major critique, especially given how many moving parts the series has with its ensemble cast. However, because of how much the series still has left to explore,the last half of season 1 could end up being faster, exploringconnections betweenDune: Prophecyand the movies, alongside giving its story a satisfying conclusion.
How The Show Can Win A Larger Audience
[S]ince the show has already established its core story and focal characters, there’s no guarantee of any major changes that will draw more positive reception to the series.
Dune: Prophecyhas explored the origins of elements introduced in Villeneuve’s movies, such asLila going through the Agonywith a Water of Life predecessor and explaining theHarkonnen and Atreides feud. These elements could play into theupcomingDune: Part Three,with the series having a chance to set up theMessiahadaptation through its own storyline. If the show further embraces the established canon, perhaps with more information that ties the earlyBene Gesserit to the movies, it can draw a more positive crowd around it.
Dune: Prophecy Episode 3 Ending Explained - What Are Tula’s Plans For Lila?
The ending of Dune: Prophecy episode 3 “Sisterhood Above All” reveals shocking details about the dark past and future plans of Tula & Valya Harkonnen.
However, since the show has already established its core story and focal characters, there’s no guarantee of any major changes that will draw more positive reception to the series. While theDune: Prophecyepisode 4 trailerpromises major events unfolding, it remains to be seen if they’ll be enough to win over those unhappy with the first half of season 1. Depending on how events shape up, though,there’s still plenty of room for a positive turn for the show’s audience score, especially if some wild or interesting events happen soon.
23-07-2025
22-08-2025
23-08-2025
Dune: Prophecy
Cast
Set in the universe of Frank Herbert’s Dune series, Dune: Prophecy, a sci-fi epic, follows the political and spiritual struggles on the desert planet of Arrakis. As factions vie for control of the prized spice melange, a prophesied hero emerges, challenging the balance of power and the fate of the galaxy.
