To say the very least of it, this was the win that theaters sorely needed. Before “Dune 2” opened, the box office was down 20% compared to this time last year. The sequel helped close that gap and, given the film’s A CinemaScore and great reviews from critics (you can read /Film’s review right here), it looks to have long legs in the coming weeks. Especially since we don’t have another live-action blockbuster coming down the pipeline until “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” on March 22. Timothee Chalamet’s Paul Atreides has a clear path to lead us to box office glory for weeks to come.
The first “Dune” opened to $41 million back in 2021 when the pandemic was a larger factor. The sequel effectively doubled that number, which is hugely impressive. It’s not quite as big of a jump as “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” ($35 million opening) to “Across the Spider-Verse” ($120 million opening), but it’s damn impressive. The first movie debuted on HBO Max the same day that it opened in theaters in North America, which certainly impacted ticket sales at the time. But it’s clear that audiences found the movie on their own and that they wanted to experience the follow-up on the big screen.
A lot can happen between now and the end of the movie’s run, but Legendary and Warner Bros. stand to make a pretty penny with this one, even with the $190 million budget. Legendary shouldered 80% of that figure, it’s worth noting. At this point, it’s very difficult to imagine the movie finishing its run with any less than $600 million worldwide, which would be about $200 million more than the first one made in its original run. It’s a great sign for those who wish to see Villeneuve return for “Dune: Messiah.” The spice must flow, as it were.
“Dune: Part Two” is in theaters now.