Budapest has never been so alive for science fiction fans. While Denis Villeneuve directs Dune: Part Three, the adaptation of Dune Messiah, HBO Max has begun production on Season 2 of Dune: Prophecy, a prequel set ten thousand years earlier that chronicles the origins of the Bene Gesserit sisterhood. It’s rare to see a franchise shooting both a series and a feature film side by side, but Legendary’s decision signals clear ambition: to cement Dune not just as a trilogy, but as a fully expanded narrative universe.

The side effect of this coincidence is explosive. Travis Fimmel, starring in Dune: Prophecy as the mysterious Desmond Hart, has been spotted in Budapest alongside none other than Jason Momoa, the eternal Duncan Idaho of the films. For fans, the sight of the two actors together in Hungary is a dream come true: their characters are separated by millennia in the timeline, yet the image of these two warriors side by side has fueled theories, fan art, and a storm of speculation online. Their mere presence creates a symbolic link between the series and the films, even if the narrative itself does not.

And if their recent reunion in Budapest already sent fans into a frenzy, the resurfacing of an old photo makes the moment even sweeter: Jason Momoa and Travis Fimmel didn’t just meet on Dune — they’ve been friends since their youth. Long before the fame of Game of Thrones and Vikings, the two were already side by side, and that history now adds a nostalgic layer to their presence in Hungary. Seeing them together again, while both Dune: Prophecy and Dune: Part Three are filming in parallel, feels like an unexpected gift. For fans, it doesn’t matter that Desmond Hart and Duncan Idaho will never share the screen — the real-life friendship between their actors has already created the perfect crossover.

So what can we expect from Dune: Prophecy Season 2? The first season already showed it wasn’t afraid to invent new characters (like Desmond Hart), but it is still expected to stay in dialogue with the canon. In Herbert’s books, especially Children of Dune and the saga’s appendices, the Bene Gesserit are described as being forged amid political conspiracies, noble house conflicts, and the gradual honing of their genetic and political manipulation powers. This opens the door for the series to explore:

• The rise of House Corrino: young Constantine Corrino, already present in the first season, may be the narrative thread to explain how his lineage consolidated its rule over the imperial throne that centuries later would become the stage for Paul Atreides’ rise and fall.
  
• The beginnings of forbidden practices: the genetic manipulation that would one day lead to the Kwisatz Haderach is a turning point in the Dune mythology. The series might dare to anticipate its earliest experiments, adding a thriller-scientific dimension to its political drama.
  
• Desmond Hart as archetype: although invented for the series, his profile recalls warriors like Duncan Idaho — outsiders who earn the trust of the Bene Gesserit and become entangled in conflicts larger than themselves. It’s possible that Desmond was conceived as a kind of “narrative prototype,” echoing forward into Herbert’s future universe.

Meanwhile, in cinemas, Dune Messiah will take Paul to the heights of power and into his downfall, transforming the messiah into a tyrant and exposing the devastating consequences of his rise. Watching series and films being shot in parallel reinforces the idea of an interconnected ecosystem: the past and future of Dune being built together, often sharing the same city and studios.

And if Travis and Momoa continue roaming around Budapest, sparking rumors and fan buzz, all the better: even without an official crossover, they’re already keeping the bridge between series and film alive. For those who follow this universe with the devotion of a sisterhood, it’s precisely this kind of synchronicity — between fiction, behind-the-scenes, and speculation — that makes Dune larger than any single work.