LOS ANGELES – Movie theaters have been looking for a savior, and “Dune: Part 2” delivers on that promise. Armed with sandbugs, big-screen spectacle and the star power of Timothée Chalamet, Denis Villeneuve's sci-fi epic took the North American box office by storm this weekend, posting $81.5 million in ticket sales, the company said on Sunday. The studio's estimates have been announced.
Internationally, it grossed $97 million, and its world premiere grossed $178.5 million.
“Dennis has made a truly extraordinary and special film, so it was really exciting to see people's reactions,” said Mary Parent, producer of both Dune films and Legendary's Worldwide Production Chairman. Told. It feels like it's being shown on screen and being accepted as a cinematic event. ”
This is the first blockbuster of 2024 and something our exhibitors desperately needed. There are some holdovers, like Warner Bros., that continue to make money after December, but the box office numbers for Wonka (also starring Chalamet) and Sony's romantic comedy Anyone But You have been a bit of a slump. There is. In his first two months of 2024, none of his films topped $100 million domestically. The highest-grossing films were “The Beekeeper,'' “Bob Marley: One Love,'' and “Mean Girls.''
“Dune 2” rode a wave of great reviews (94% on Rotten Tomatoes) into an essentially uncompetitive market. Warner Bros. released the film in 4,071 locations in the United States and Canada, where it received positive reviews from audiences across the board. The best he earned a PostTrak score and an A CinemaScore. According to exit data, 59% of his opening weekend ticket buyers were male and 64% were over the age of 25. The sequel will be primarily financed by Legendary, and its production budget was previously reported. The $122 million range is closer to $190 million.
“This really captured the market,” said Jeff Goldstein, Warner Bros.' president of domestic distribution. “It's a cultural moment globally.”
Premium large screens such as IMAX and 70mm accounted for 48% of business in the opening weekend. This marked a March record for IMAX, accounting for $18.5 million of the overall box office receipts. Villeneuve shot the film using IMAX cameras. Unlike “Oppenheimer,'' it was shot digitally, but with extra time due to strike delays, film prints could also be made, and the film format proved popular with audiences.
“Our most iconic movie locations have been sold out for virtually weeks,” said IMAX CEO Rich Gelfond.
The $81.5 million debut is also a record for Villeneuve and stars Chalamet, Austin Butler and Rebecca Ferguson.
Originally scheduled for release in October 2023, Warner Bros. postponed the film's release to March after Hollywood strikes prevented the star cast from participating in promotional activities. The global promotional tour spanned nearly a month and featured conversation-boosting interviews, the much-talked-about sandworm-inspired popcorn bucket, and eye-popping fashion moments from the stylish young cast. It culminated in Zendaya's Silver Cyborg showstopper (vintage Mugler) in London. They also made stops in Mexico City, South Korea, Abu Dhabi and New York City.
“We worked hard to prepare for that (original) date, but we felt strongly that it was worth the wait, especially because of this amazing cast,” Parent said.
Director Goldstein added that there was “a lot of discussion” about whether to release it during the strike, but that he knew he needed the cast to “fully realize the movie.”
“You don't make movie stars anywhere but in the theater,” Goldstein said. “Movies are about big screens, big sounds, and that shared experience that creates big stars, or at least showcases the talent of big stars.”
The first Dune was released in October 2021 under complicated circumstances. The film was one of the last installments of Warner Bros.' split plan to release major films simultaneously in theaters and on streaming platforms. Still, in the first weekend he grossed more than $40 million, and worldwide he grossed more than $400 million.
“Denis Villeneuve ranks alongside Christopher Nolan as a director whose name alone motivates people to go to the theater,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at comScore.
This weekend “will move the needle in a big way,” he added.
Going into the weekend, box office receipts were down about 20% from the same point last year (at the time, 2022 release Avatar: The Way of Water improved everything). The closest thing to this this year is “Wonka,” which is still a hit but not as big as “Avatar 2.” After the “Dune” weekend, the deficit will be close to 13%.
“This shows how important one movie is to the health of the entire industry,” Dergarabedian said. “But this is not a March one-hit wonder. It's a business with momentum. Now we're going to get the wind back in our sails as we head into March, April and the summer movie season.”
Warner Bros. is one of the studios that will soon return with a blockbuster movie: “Godzilla x Kong'' at the end of March, followed by “Furiosa'' in May and the “Beetlejuice'' sequel in September. The sequel to “Joker'' will be released in October.
“This is our year,” Goldstein said. “Exhibitors are fighting for their lives, but we can work wisely with them to keep our businesses relevant to our audiences.”
Estimated ticket sales from Friday through Sunday in U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to comScore. Final national figures will be released on Monday.
1. “Dune: Part 2,” $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. “Immigration, $2.5 million.
7. “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba “To the Bridge”” $2.1 million.
8. “Wonka” $1.7 million.
9. “Argyle,” $1.4 million.
10. “The Beekeeper,” $1.1 million.