On stage at New York Comic Con, actress Jessica Barden revealed a little secret behind the scenes of Dune: Prophecy that she feared audiences wouldn’t see it on screen. “The footwear was Nike Airs,” Barden laughed. “My first day on set, they gave me these shoes and I was like, Whoa, the Dune Space dudes wear Nike Airs shoes.”
But not all Bene Gesserit shoes are created equal. Both Chloe Lea (who plays Sister Lila) and Jade Anouka (Sister Theodosia) were decided not so comfortable in her footwear.
“We were in the most uncomfortable shoes,” said Lea in a press conference before the premiere. “Flat – like rock hard on the bottom. […] Maybe Jess got to wear Nikes, and I’m kind of jealous of that.”
One could attribute it to different needs for different eras of Bene Gesserit. Barden plays the young Valya Harkonnen when she was still in her early days with the sorority. The sisters Lila and Theodosia appear about 30 years later, when the sisterhood is a little more established and led by her Mother Superior Valya Harkonnen.
“Maybe 30 years ago they had different shoes. But when we were there, they were essentially black pieces of cardboard,” Anouka said. “[But] Cardboard with beautifully intricate patterns on top!”
It’s not like the Bene Gesserit ever claimed to be an egalitarian wonderland. Look no further than the highest ranks: Both Emily Watson and Olivia Williams (who play the older versions of Mother Superior Valya and Reverend Mother Tula Harkonnen, respectively) emphasize that they did Great Shoes on set. “They’re like actual orthopedic sneakers disguised as Bene Gesserit shoes,” Watson said.
Williams went a step further, praising Watson for incorporating them – oofos, if you must know – into Valya and Tula’s costumes, which she joked she was supposed to get for promoting a share in the company. “We were looking forward to stepping into our role.”
It’s a bit of art that reflects life: One of Williams’ favorite moments on set was learning the prana bindu next to the younger girls. She recalls: “There is a moment when chaos reigns, a bit like watching a bad production A chorus lineand then there is a moment when you all move as one; a beautiful, unconscious energy in the room as we began to move as a cast,” recalls Williams. “And then: the absolute awe as our characters had to stand and watch as they had to do it while rain, wind and hail fell on them.
“So it was probably a moment that united them. And we watched.”
At least for Anouka, the decree was clear, understandable and ultimately quite funny for her: “Sisterhood comes first. You don’t need arches in your feet.”
Dune: Prophecy Premieres Sunday, November 17th at 9pm EST.
