Warner Bros.’ “Dune: Part Two” effortlessly dominated the domestic box office this weekend, raking in $81.5 million and clinching the title of the biggest opening of 2024, as per estimates from measurement firm Comscore.
The much-awaited sequel to Denis Villeneuve’s Oscar-winning sci-fi masterpiece slightly surpassed initial box office forecasts, which anticipated an opening of $70 million to $80 million in the United States and Canada.
Internationally, “Dune: Part Two” debuted with $97 million, bringing its global cumulative to $178.5 million, according to studio estimates.
The futuristic blockbuster has delivered a much-needed boost to the domestic box office after a dry spell of approximately four months, which has placed a strain on exhibitors.
The last films to open with such strength in North American theaters were AMC Theatres’ “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” ($93.2 million) and Universal Pictures’ “Five Nights at Freddy’s” ($80 million), both released in October.
Since then, nothing has come close to reaching the level of success seen with “Barbie” ($162 million) since the doll-inspired comedy premiered opposite Universal’s “Oppenheimer” ($82.5 million) in July.
Before the release of “Dune: Part Two,” domestic box office revenue had declined by 20% compared to 2023 and by 40% compared to pre-pandemic figures from 2019, a target exhibitors have been striving to reach. However, this weekend’s numbers have reduced the year-over-year figure to 13%.
Movie theaters were still in the process of recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic when Hollywood writers and actors went on strike last year.
This prompted major studios to postpone some of their most anticipated releases, including “Dune: Part Two,” which was initially scheduled for November 2023.
Rounding out the top three at the weekend’s domestic box office were Paramount Pictures’ “Bob Marley: One Love,” which collected $7.4 million in its third frame for a North American cumulative of $82.8 million; and Lionsgate’s “Ordinary Angels,” which added $3.9 million in its sophomore outing for a North American total of $12.6 million.
“Dune: Part Two,” based on the classic Frank Herbert novel, stars Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya as warriors fighting to save the desert planet Arrakis from the brutal and exploitative Harkonnens.
The supporting cast includes Austin Butler, Javier Bardem, Rebecca Ferguson, Anya Taylor-Joy, Josh Brolin, Dave Bautista, Christopher Walken, Léa Seydoux, Souheila Yacoub, Stellan Skarsgård, Charlotte Rampling, and Florence Pugh.
Warner Bros. strategically positioned “Dune: Part Two” for success. The delayed launch enabled the film’s star-studded cast to tour the globe for promotion, with Zendaya’s captivating presence and impeccable red-carpet fashion dominating social media.
A month before its release, the first “Dune” was briefly reissued in IMAX, accompanied by a sneak peek of the sequel, further building anticipation.
The official “Dune: Part Two” popcorn bucket, modeled after the mouth of a sandworm native to Arrakis, went viral, even inspiring a “Saturday Night Live” sketch.
Additionally, the studio lifted the review embargo early, allowing critics to praise the movie for over a week before its debut.
As a result, the sequel earned a stellar 94% on Rotten Tomatoes and an A grade from audiences polled by CinemaScore.
“Less an act of literary fidelity than generosity, [Villeneuve’s] sequel plunges us into the book’s messianic prophecies, but also into spiritual uncertainty, cultural conflict and doubt, as it must,” Times film editor Joshua Rothkopf writes in his review.
“Villeneuve has made good on one of the great Hollywood gambles in recent memory, delivering a two-part epic of literary nuance, timely significance and maybe even the promise of another film or two.”
Opening in wide release next weekend are Lionsgate’s “Imaginary,” Universal’s “Kung Fu Panda 4,” and Angel Studios’ “Cabrini.”
