Desperate For The Dune TV Show? This Sci-Fi Series May Scratch That Itch
The Foundation TV series just finished its second season, and if you are looking for something with Dune vibes, look no further.
With Dune: The Sisterhood, an upcoming prequel TV series to Denis Villeneuve's adaptation of the iconic sci-fi novel, seemingly stuck in development hell and the release of Dune: Part Two postponed to March 15, 2024, fans of the franchise are now feeling a bit let down.
While there are plenty of sci-fi space operas out there, from Star Wars and Star Trek to countless smaller ones, none of them have the distinct atmosphere of Dune, with religious undertones, political machinations, deep drama, and a scale of epic proportions.
But there is one possible replacement that could be just perfect for scratching that Dune itch, and that is the Foundation TV series, which just wrapped up its second season.
Based on the book series of the same name by Isaac Asimov, the show is set in the extremely distant future and revolves around a conflict between the Galactic Empire and the Foundation.
The latter consists of followers of mathematician Dr. Hari Seldon, who calculated the Empire's downfall and accidentally created a religious cult around himself, becoming the Messiah. Sounds familiar, doesn't it?
The complex story and serious tone of the series bears a striking resemblance to that of Dune, as it doesn't feel as "mainstream" and simplified as Star Wars or Star Trek (with all due respect to fans of both).
If you're still not convinced, the original book series served as a source of inspiration for Frank Herbert when he was writing his masterpiece, with some even considering the Dune series to be a commentary on the Foundation series.
To be fair, if you love sci-fi in general, you will find many elements of the Foundation quite familiar, as almost every creation in the genre has taken something from it.
Of course, Foundation and Dune have their fair share of differences and unique elements, but if you are looking for the closest thing to Frank Herbert's creation, look no further than the thing that inspired it.
The show hasn't been renewed for season 3 yet, but considering the success of the second season, the chances seem pretty good.