Even before film has officially opened in theaters, Dune: Part Two is positioned for enormous box office success. This weekend marked the film’s third milestone, and it also solidified Timothée Chalamet’s status as one of the rarest breeds in contemporary Hollywood: a movie star who can still sell out theaters even though she hasn’t yet appeared in a superhero blockbuster.
Chalamet has just wrapped up a $630 million global box office run with his hit film Wonka. In the past few months, his total worldwide earnings have surpassed $1 billion. After 17 days, Dune: Part Two has brought in $205 million domestically with a projected $29 million in sales this weekend. The science-fiction follow-up has already brought in $289 million from international sales, bringing its total revenue to $494 million worldwide. This also means that, in just over two weeks, Dune: Part Two has surpassed the first Dune at the global box office; the film will cross the half-billion dollar milestone on Monday.
True, the first movie came out in the middle of the epidemic in 2021, but more notoriously, it was released on the same day on the streaming service that used to be called HBO Max. Denis Villeneuve also directed Dune, which brought in a little over $100 million domestically and $400 million internationally at the end of its theatrical run. Following a one-week re-release, it has added $30 million to its total worldwide revenue. Villeneuve expressed his disappointment with the choice to make his expansive picture available on streaming services. The studio seems to have made up for the oversight by putting forth all the effort to market Dune: Part Two as a must-see on the largest screens possible.
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It looks like the plan worked, as the film has already broken the $100 million mark in IMAX sales alone. Of this, $50 million has come from IMAX theaters located domestically, and $54 million has come from those located abroad. A dozen or more locations throughout the world are showing Dune: Part Two in the ideal IMAX 70mm format, which was recently made popular by Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer. Dune: Part Two is closely trailing the success of Christopher Nolan’s film, which is still showing in some theaters despite taking home seven Oscars and making over $960 million globally.
Villeneuve’s two-part adaptation of Frank Herbert’s groundbreaking science-fiction book comes to an end in Dune: Part Two. The director has indicated that he would like to helm a third entry as well, but he probably needs to finish another project first. Starring in Dune: Part Two alongside Zendaya are Stellan Skarsgard, Christopher Walken, Dave Bautista, Josh Brolin, Florence Pugh, Austin Butler, and Rebecca Ferguson. The movie is currently showing in cinemas. For more information, keep checking Collider.
Dune: Part Two
IMDB Rating : 8.9/10
Release Date : March 1, 2024
Director : Denis Villeneuve
Cast : Zendaya, Stellan Skarsgrd, Timothee Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Florence Pugh, Javier Bardem
Runtime : 166 minutes
Genres : Drama, Sci-Fi, Action, Adventure
Writers : Jon Spaihts, Denis Villeneuve, Frank Herbert