Movie theaters were looking for a messiah and Dune: Part Two is delivering on the promise.
Movie theaters were looking for a messiah and Dune: Part Two is delivering on the promise. Armed with sandworms, big screen spectacle, and the star power of Timothée Chalamet, Denis Villeneuve ’s science fiction epic stormed the North American box office this weekend earning $81.5 million (£64 million) in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.
It’s the first major hit of 2024, and one that was sorely needed by exhibitors. Although there have been holdovers from December that have continued to earn, like Warner Bros‘ Wonka (also starring Chalamet) and Sony’s romantic comedy Anyone But You, the box office is in a bit of a drought. In the first two months of 2024, no films have crossed $100 million domestically. The highest earning movies have been The Beekeeper, Bob Marley: One Love and Mean Girls.
Dune 2 rode a wave of great reviews (94% on Rotten Tomatoes) into a marketplace that was essentially free of competition. Warner Bros. released it in 4,071 locations in the US and Canada, where audiences across the board gave it the highest PostTrak marks and an A CinemaScore. According to exit data, men accounted for 59% of opening weekend ticket buyers and 64% were over the age of 25. The sequel was primarily financed by Legendary.
