Not even the prophetic visions of Timothée Chalamet's Paul Atreides, the messianic protagonist of “Dune,” could have predicted the commercial appeal of director Denis Villeneuve's ambitious interplanetary epics.
After all, when the adaptation has been going on for a long time finally gained momentum in 2017, it was superheroes, not cerebral stories, that ruled the box office. “Dune,” in particular, was notoriously difficult to translate to film, as Hollywood learned from director David Lynch's disastrous 1984 version.
It was not only science fiction fans, but also the general public who helped. »Dune: part two“Ride these massive sandworms to the top of the box office charts. The big-budget sequel raked in a a higher amount than expected, $82.5 million in North America and $182.5 million worldwide in its first weekend of release. It landed the biggest domestic opening of the year while helping to revive a barren box office. Initial ticket sales for the follow-up far outpaced the original, 2021's “Dune,” which opened to $41 million while simultaneously landing on HBO Max. It ended its theatrical run with $433 million worldwide, an impressive result that box office experts believe would nevertheless have been greater with an exclusive theatrical release.
“Doubling the previous film's box office debut, even considering a hybrid release, is no small feat for a sequel in a genre that often has a difficult barrier to entry,” says Shawn Robbins, the chief analyst of Boxoffice Pro. “The goodwill of the previous film and the ability of its stars to promote the film helped attract more than just die-hard fans this time around.”
“Dune: Part Two,” co-produced and co-financed by Warner Bros. and Legendary Entertainment, cost $190 million to produce and about $100 million more to promote to global audiences. That requires box office staying power (which analysts think it's primed to have) to justify those high prices.
Here are five takeaways from its box office debut:
A prophetic delay?
Theater owners were understandably disappointed that “Part Two,” originally scheduled to hit the big screen last fall, was delayed until the spring because of the actors' strike. But the reality is that he might have been better off escaping the busy holiday season and settling into the great outdoors of March. There hasn't been a major release since weeks, so “Dune 2” benefited from pent-up demand for watching a blockbuster on the big screen. Once Warner Bros. and Legendary had the stars at their disposal, they spared no expense to travel the world with the sprawling ensemble of Chalamet, Zendaya, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Javier Bardem and Josh Brolin to promote the film. Suddenly, the film was essential. “It really permeated the culture,” says “Dune” producer Mary Parent.
Power of Imax
Who can resist these colossal sandworms and epic fight scenes in Imax? As audiences returned to Arrakis, the desert planet where the action of “Dune” takes place, they chose to experience the journey on the world's biggest and best screens. This is a plus for the studios because entry to these auditoriums costs more than the average ticket price. Large premium formats, such as Imax and Dolby, contributed 48% of the film's total. For comparison, Christopher Nolan’s giant “Oppenheimer” made 47% of initial ticket sales from PLFs. Demand to experience “Part Two” on 70mm film (the director's preferred format) was so stratospheric that some daring moviegoers felt they had no choice but to rush to screen it at 3:15 a.m.
“Our most iconic filming locations are virtually sold out for weeks,” says Imax CEO Rich Gelfond.
Hi all Timothée Chalamet and Denis Villeneuve!
It's a good weekend to be Chalamet and Villeneuve, the dynamic duo at the center of the film franchise. After the commercial success of the fantasy musical “Wonka” last December, thanks in large part to the actor (Chalamet) who wears the top hat, “Dune” confirms that Timmy Tim is the rare leading man whose Involvement in a project can push people to go to the theater. And Villeneuve, who once again proved his prowess for making cinematic sense of Frank Herbert's bold vision, is the kind of director capable of turning clever sci-fi stories into broadly appealing big-screen spectacles. That's especially valuable in an era where once-tested intellectual properties (such as “Indiana Jones,” DC Comics and Marvel) are failing at the box office.
“This is a unique moment for Timothée Chalamet,” said Jeff Goldstein, president of domestic distribution for Warner Bros., who also worked on “Wonka.” “Audiences are responding to the combination of Denis Villeneuve’s ability to tell a story in an extraordinary way and the extraordinary casting.”
How far can the “Dune” franchise expand?
The sequel solidified “Dune” as an important new film franchise, but if the producers stay true to the sacred text, it might be difficult to maintain that level of interest from the masses. Nothing has been given yet, but Villeneuve has expressed his desire to complete a trilogy, hoping to develop the third film from Herbert's follow-up novel, “Dune Messiah.” There are already plans to expand the “Dune” universe with the upcoming television series “Dune: Prophecy,” which will focus on the powerful brotherhood known as the Bene Gesserit. But as Disney is learning with its Marvel Cinematic Universe: Too much of a good thing do exist. Fans can get tired of beloved properties if they feel like there's too much to keep track of. Plus, “Dune” gets really, really weird the deeper you get into the books. Will audiences flock to key human characters transforming into sandworms or returning as gholas, “Dune”-speak for resurrected clones? If you think multiverses exist narratively, just wait until they start adapting “Children of Dune.”
More movies, please!
Cinema operators could rejoice this weekend as the cash registers were ringing loudly for the first time in a long time. A week ago, domestic box office revenue lagged 20% behind the same period in 2023. But “Dune 2” helped narrow that gap to 13.5%, according to Comscore.
“What a difference a weekend makes,” said Comscore senior analyst Paul Dergarabedian. “Better late than never.”
But the reality is that multiplexes are still facing a major shortage of content after several of their mainstays were moved to 2025 and beyond due to strikes in Hollywood. That's a problem because movie theater owners need a steady stream of new movies to attract people to the theaters — and to buy popcorn. February was disastrous with two record level on weekends, and even if March seems more promising… the bar is low. Universal and DreamWorks Animation's family film “Kung Fu Panda 4” (March 8), Lionsgate's Blumhouse thriller “Imaginary” (also March 8) and Sony's sequel “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” (March 22) may they close the year? – date difference? Mark Wahlberg's “Arthur the King,” a heartwarming story about a man who befriends an injured stray dog, might surprise in the vein of “Marley and Me” or Channing Tatum's road trip adventure “Dog.” But it's not expected to produce the kind of blockbuster numbers that drive up movie theater stock prices.
“'Dune' and next weekend's 'Kung Fu Panda 4' should turn the page on 2024's cold start,” says David A. Gross, who runs the movie consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research. “But overall, it will take time to fill the pipeline and adapt to changing tastes.”