Theaters were looking for a savior and “Dune: Part Two” delivers on the promise. Armed with sandworms, big-screen spectacle and Timothée Chalamet’s star power, Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi epic took the North American box office by storm this weekend earning $81.5 million in ticket sales, according to estimates from Sunday’s study.
Internationally, it earned $97 million, bringing its global debut to $178.5 million.
“Denis has made a truly extraordinary and special film and it has been truly exciting to see people’s response,” said Mary Parent, producer of both “Dune” films and president of worldwide production at Legendary. “It was made for the big screen and it feels like it was received as a cinematic event.”
It is the first big success of 2024, which exhibitors badly needed. Although there were holdovers from December that continued to make money, like Warner Bros.’ “ Wonka ” (also starring Chalamet) and Sony’s romantic comedy “Anyone But You,” the box office is a bit dry. In the first two months of 2024, no film topped $100 million domestically. The highest earning films were “The Beekeeper,” “Bob Marley: One Love” and “Mean Girls.”
“Dune 2” rode a wave of great reviews (94% on Rotten Tomatoes) in a market essentially devoid of competition. Warner Bros. released it in 4,071 locations in the United States and Canada, where audiences gave it the highest PostTrak rating and CinemaScore. According to release data, men made up 59% of opening weekend ticket buyers, and 64% were over the age of 25. The sequel was primarily financed by Legendary, and its production budget, previously reported to be around $122 million, is closer to $190 million.
“It has really cornered the market,” said Jeff Goldstein, president of domestic distribution at Warner Bros.. “It’s a cultural moment globally.”
Premium large format screens such as IMAX and 70mm accounted for 48% of opening weekend business. It marked a March record for IMAX, accounting for $18.5 million of the overall gross. Villeneuve filmed the film using IMAX cameras. Unlike “Oppenheimer,” it was shot digitally, but with the extra time and delay of the strike they were able to make film prints as well, and the film format is proving a popular draw for audiences.
“Our most iconic movie locations are virtually sold out for weeks,” said IMAX CEO Rich Gelfond.
The debut, which cost $81.5 million, is also a record for director Villeneuve, and stars Chalamet, Austin Butler and Rebecca Ferguson.
Originally slated for an October 2023 release, Warner Bros. moved the film to March due to Hollywood strikes that would prevent its star-studded cast from hitting the promotional circuit. The global promotional tour ran for about a month, sparking conversations with lively interviews, the viral sandworm-inspired popcorn bucket, and eye-popping fashion moments from the young, stylish cast — peaking with Zendaya’s silver cyborg (Vintage Mugger) in London. . They made stops in Mexico City, South Korea, Abu Dhabi and New York City.
“We worked very hard to be ready for that (original) date, but we really felt that, especially with this incredible cast, it was worth the wait,” Parent said.
Goldstein added that there was “a lot of debate” about whether or not to release it during the strikes, but they knew they needed the cast to “fully realize the film.”
“You don’t make movie stars anywhere other than theaters,” Goldstein said. “Cinemas, on the big screen with the great sound and that shared experience makes a big star, or at least shows the talent of a big star.”
The first “Dune” was released under complicated conditions in October 2021. It was one of Warner Bros.’ last films.’ divisive plan to simultaneously debut its biggest films in theaters and on its streaming platform. Yet it still made over $40 million in its first weekend and grossed over $400 million worldwide.
“Denis Villeneuve is on par with Christopher Nolan as a director whose name alone inspires people to go to the movies,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for Comscore.
This weekend, he added, “moves the needle in a big way.”
Going into the weekend, the box office was down about 20% from the same point last year (when “Avatar: The Way of Water,” due out in 2022, was lifting everything). The closest equivalent this year is “Wonka,” still a hit, but not as big as “Avatar 2.” After “Dune” weekend, the deficit will be closer to 13%.
“This shows how important a film can be to the overall health of the industry,” Dergarabedian said. “But this is not a one-off wonder for March. It’s a business with great momentum. Now we’ll get the wind back in our sails as we head into March, April and the summer movie season.”
Warner Bros. is one of those studios that will be back soon with another big movie, “Godzilla x Kong” at the end of March, followed by “Furiosa” in May, the “Beetlejuice” sequel in September and the “Joker” in October.
“This is our year,” Goldstein said. “Exhibitors are fighting for their lives, but we can be smart and work with them to keep our business relevant to the public.”
Estimated ticket sales Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. The final national data will be published on Monday.
1. “Dune: Part II,” $81.5 million.
2. “Bob Marley: One Love,” $7.4 million.
3. “Ordinary Angels,” $3.9 million.
4. “Madame Web,” $3.2 million.
5. “The Chosen: Season 4, Episodes 7-8,” $3.2 million.
6. “Migration, $2.5 million.
7. “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba – To the Hashi,” $2.1 million.
8. “Wonka,” $1.7 million.
9. “Argylle,” $1.4 million.
10. “The Beekeeper,” $1.1 million.