“Dune: Prophecy” mainly focuses on the Sisterhood, a group of women who eventually become the Bene Gesserit (who, by the time of the main “Dune” storyline, use their mind-controlling powers and talent for shaping the religious beliefs of far-flung societies to control galactic politics).

That may have been the only move Dune: Prophecy could have made, but it’s one that relies on viewers having an interest in its franchise’s world beyond what Villeneuve and his cast brought to their Dune films. That’s a gamble that may work ...