Sandworms show up on the desert planet Arrakis in Denis Villeneuve's “Dune: Part Two.”
Warner Bros. | Legendary entertainment
After a two-month drought, 'Dune: Part Two' has delivered a welcome flood of ticket sales at the domestic box office – and its success could bring a third franchise film to theaters.
The Warner Bros. and Legendary Entertainment film opened with an estimated $81.5 million at the box office, the highest of any film released so far in 2024.
“Like an oasis in the desert, 'Dune: Part Two' is a sight to behold in theaters and across Hollywood,” said Shawn Robbins, chief analyst at BoxOffice.com.
Denis Villeneuve's sci-fi epic, the second in the Dune franchise, was backed by IMAX ticket sales, which represented approximately 23% of domestic ticket sales, or $18.5 million.
“The only reason it wasn't higher is because we ran out of seats,” said IMAX CEO Rich Gelfond.
Gelfond noted that the film's pre-sales have been “really impressive” and that in many locations tickets for IMAX screenings won't be available for another three weeks.
“The lesson is that if you put a beautiful visual experience and a good story in the hands of a brilliant filmmaker with an IMAX camera, you will get very good results,” Gelfond said.
Notably, the entirety of “Dune: Part Two” was filmed using IMAX digital cameras.
Expectations from studio executives, theater owners and box office analysts are that the film will have a long tail in theaters and continue to generate strong ticket sales in the coming weeks. The same, Gelfond said Universal “Oppenheimer” and Disneys “Avatar: The Way of Water.”
Internationally, the film is expected to gross $97 million, bringing its worldwide gross to $178.5 million. IMAX represented 18% of all international ticket sales, the company said. The film debuts in China on March 8.
“I think this is a movie where you know the word of mouth will carry it,” Legendary Entertainment CEO Josh Grode told CNBC. “It's an amazing piece of filmmaking. There's no other way to put it. I'm running out of adjectives.”
Grode did not deny rumors of a possible third film in the franchise, noting, “We need to get all creative stakeholders aligned and supportive of the vision.”
“I think everyone is very excited and really enjoying this moment and Denis [Villeneuve] “If he gets the script right and he thinks he can deliver another experience similar to what we just completed, then I don't see why not,” he said.
Timothee Chalamet stars as Paul Atreides in Denis Villeneuve's 'Dune: Part Two'.
Warner Bros. | Legendary entertainment
The strong opening for “Dune: Part Two” comes after the film was removed from the 2023 movie calendar as twin labor strikes in Hollywood made it impossible for cast members to publicly promote the film.
Grode noted that Legendary Entertainment struggled with the decision to move the film from its November slot and to a new date in March. However, he felt that without a marketing campaign “that matched the film”, the film might not reach as many moviegoers.
“Hindsight is always 2020, but I think this could absolutely be the right decision,” he said.
The film's cast has been heavily promoting the film for weeks, participating in junkets, video interviews and appearing on late-night shows. Even the stars' premiere outfits made headlines, raising awareness of the film's release.
Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya attend the world premiere of “Dune: Part Two” at Leicester Square in London, England, on February 15, 2024.
Gareth Cattermole | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images
In addition to industry veterans like Christopher Walken, Stellan Skarsgard, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin and Dave Bautista, “Dune: Part Two” features four of the biggest young stars in Hollywood: Zendaya, Timothée Chalamet, Florence Pugh and Austin Butler.
Heading into the weekend, the domestic box office had achieved less than $900 million in ticket sales through the first two months of the year, down nearly 18% from the same period in 2023, according to Comscore data. A surge early in the year could be crucial for a box office still struggling to regain $10 billion in domestic annual ticket sales, a figure last seen before the Covid-19 pandemic.
“In every box office year there is a turning point and in 2024 the debut 'Dune: Part Two' represents a milestone in a year without blockbuster offerings,” said Paul Degarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore. “The box office year of '24 officially started this weekend two months late and not a moment too early and will help build much-needed momentum for cinemas for March and beyond.”
Disclosure: Comcast is the parent company of NBCUniversal and CNBC. NBCUniversal distributed “Oppenheimer.”