The sci-fi film “Dune: Part Two” dominated the box office over the weekend, bringing in an impressive $81.5 million domestically, the highest opening weekend result for any movie in 2024 so far.
“This is just what the box office needed and much higher than any of us could predict,” Jeff Goldstein, president of domestic distribution at Warner Bros. Pictures, said in response to the results, per CNN. “That’s especially true given that it’s a sci-fi movie, which is a genre that is a hard nut to crack. And we grossed $178.5 million worldwide, which is quite a standup.”
“We created a cultural moment, and it started with this extraordinary movie that [film director] Denis Villeneuve told in a really compelling way, and a cast has worked their butt off around the world for this movie,” Goldstein continued.
The results were notably higher compared to opening weekend for the first “Dune” movie, which premiered in October 2021 with $41 million to start.
Both films are based on the 1965 novel by the same name written by Frank Herbert. The original installment featured an ensemble cast including Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Zendaya, Chang Chen, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Charlotte Rampling, Jason Momoa, and Javier Bardem. “Part Two” brought back several familiar faces from the first movie, including Chalamet and Zendaya, plus added familiar names such as Florence Pugh and Christopher Walken.
The first “Dune” went on to become a huge success, bringing in $434.8 million against a $165 million production budget. It was nominated for ten Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and won six.
One thing that sets both of these sci-fi films apart from other contemporary films is audiences prefer to experience the visuals in a theater. CNN reported that 48 percent of total domestic box office sales this weekend came from premium large formats like IMAX 70 mm, IMAX Digital, and Dolby Cinema, meaning higher revenue overall due to the high cost of tickets. Villeneuve used special IMAX cameras while shooting the sequel.
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“Dune: Part Two” currently has a 93% critic score and 95% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
“The second Dune installment is jaw-on-the-floor spectacular. It elegantly weaves together top-tier special effects and arresting cinematography; it layers muscle, sinew and savagery on to the bones of Part One,” the Observer critic wrote.
“This is what movie theaters exist for, this type of visual and complete story immersion,” the reviewer from Forbes agreed.