Dune spin-off dubbed 'new Game of Thrones' as fans hooked after shocking first episode

and 's spin-off prequel series to Denis Villeneuve's epic film saga has just made its debut - and fans are already hooked.

is set 10,000 years before the ascension of Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) and is inspired by Brian Herbert and Kevin J Anderson's novel, Sisterhood of Dune. The Dune universe was originally created by acclaimed author Frank Herbert.

The new Max and Legendary Television show, which fans are already comparing to and its prequel spin-off House of the Dragon, premiered yesterday evening on Sky and HBO.

It follows two Harkonnen sisters as they combat forces that threaten the future of humankind, and establish the fabled sect that will become known as the Bene Gesserit.

It serves as a prequel series to 2021's Dune and 2024's Dune: Part Two, which stars huge A-listers like Chalamet, Zendaya, Austin Butler, Javier Bardem, Christopher Walken, Florence Pugh, Lea Seydoux, Rebecca Ferguson and Stellan Skarsgard.

The Dune films follow the story of Paul Atreides, who arrives on the near-barren and dangerous planet Arrakis after his father takes up a position there.

Paul must ensure the future of his family and his people - all while conflict breaks out over the planet's exclusive supply of 'spice', which is the most precious resource in the known universe.

Meanwhile, Dune: Prophecy is all about the religious order of the Bene Gesserit and its murky beginnings.

Its cast includes Emily Watson, Mark Strong, Chris Mason, Emma Canning, Josh Heuston and Sarah-Sofie Boussnina.

The first episode of the new series, which ends with a shocking and violent twist, has already sparked significant fan reaction on social media.

Taking to X, the platform formerly known as , one person wrote: "#DuneProphecy (starring Mark Strong among others) on #HBO is a very interesting show.

"This here might be the next Game of Thrones. I hesitate to rate it as "Epic" after 1 episode. But that episode was 9/10 at least. Some VERY good actors. Go. Watch. If you like the books or movies you will not be disappointed." (sic)

Another fan mused: "#DuneProphecy setup a deadly Game of Thrones chess match. Funny considering it's was the Dune books that inspired #GOT Pretty keeps the look and feel of the reboot movies. We finally we the thinking machines which is basically the Cylons." (sic)

A third person tweeted: "I enjoyed epi 1 of Dune: Prophecy let's see where the story goes. Very Game of Thrones in space with black widows?" (sic)

Another enthused: "just finished watching dune prophecy episode 1 and i already feel like this is gonna be my best shows ever after game of thrones." (sic)

A fifth person wrote: "#DuneProphecy is going to be a nice ride! A Dramatic Sci-Fi series! It felt like a mix of Game of Thrones & Star Wars. Getting to see how The Sisterhood came about is intriguing! I'm always curious with how they execute prequels since we know what happens already! Looking forward to seeing where they take us with this series! I'm already invested!" (sic)

Yet another fan penned: "Just finished the first episode of #DuneProphecy So far off to a great start. Space Game of Thrones before Game of Thrones. Never trust a Bene Gesserit." (sic)

"Dune prophecy is literally just game of thrones in space and I f***ing love it," an enthusiastic viewer added.

One more gushed: "HBO hit it out of the park with the premiere of #DuneProphecy. Had a very Game of Thrones feel to with many interesting storylines and complex characters. Leaves you wanting more as soon as the credits begin to roll!" (sic)

The series will premiere on NOW on Monday 18th November at 2am, meaning fans in the UK will have to stay up until the early hours if they want to watch the first episode when it lands.

Dune: Prophecy airs Mondays at 2am in the UK, exclusively on Sky Atlantic and NOW. This coincides with its 9pm ET/6pm PT airdate in the US, where you can watch it on HBO or Max.