Cinemas were looking for a savior and “ Dune: Part Two “keeps the promise. Armed with sandworms, Big screen spectacle and the star power of Timothée Chalamet, Denis Villeneuve The sci-fi epic stormed the North American box office this weekend, generating $81.5 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.
Internationally, the film grossed $97 million, bringing its worldwide debut to $178.5 million.
“Denis made a truly extraordinary and special film and it was really exciting to see how people responded,” said Mary Parent, producer of both “Dune” films and chair of worldwide production at Legendary. “It was made for the big screen and it feels like it will be perceived as a cinematic event.”
It is the first big success of 2024 and one that the exhibitors urgently needed. Although there were holdovers from December that continued to make profits, such as Warner Bros.’ “ Wonka (also starring Chalamet) and Sony’s romantic comedy “Anyone But You” are experiencing a slight dry spell at the box office. In the first two months of 2024, no film has surpassed $100 million domestically. The highest-grossing films were “The Beekeeper,” “Bob Marley: One Love” and “Mean Girls.”
“Dune 2” enjoyed a wave of great reviews (94% on Rotten Tomatoes) in a market that was essentially devoid of competition. Warner Bros. released the film in 4,071 locations in the United States and Canada, where overall audiences gave it the highest PostTrak ratings and an A CinemaScore. According to the exit data, 59% of opening weekend ticket buyers were men and 64% were over 25 years old. The sequel was primarily financed by Legendary and the production budget, previously reported at $122 million, is closer to $122 million to $190 million.
“It’s really taken over the market,” said Jeff Goldstein, president of domestic distribution for Warner Bros. “It’s a cultural moment worldwide.”
Premium large format screens such as IMAX and 70mm accounted for 48% of opening weekend business. It represented a March record for IMAX, accounting for $18.5 million of total revenue. Villeneuve shot the film using IMAX cameras. Not how ” Oppenheimer“It was shot digitally, but with the extension and strike delay They could also make film prints and the film format is very popular with audiences.
“Our most iconic filming locations have been virtually sold out for weeks,” said IMAX CEO Rich Gelfond.
The $81.5 million debut is also a record for director Villeneuve and stars Chalamet, Austin Butler and Rebecca Ferguson.
The film was originally scheduled to be released in October 2023, but Warner Bros. postponed the film’s release to March Hollywood strikes That would have prevented the star-studded cast from completing the promotional round. The global promotional tour has been in full swing for about a month and is getting people talking with lively interviews Popcorn bucket inspired by viral sandworms and breathtaking fashion moments from the stylish young cast – highlight with Zendaya’s silver cyborg showstopper (vintage Mugler) in London. They made stops in Mexico City, South Korea, Abu Dhabi and New York City.
“We worked very hard to be prepared for this (original) date, but we felt strongly that it was worth the wait, especially with this incredible cast,” Parent said.
Goldstein added that there was “a lot of debate” about whether or not to release the film during the strikes, but they knew they needed the cast to “fully realize the film.”
“You don’t make movie stars anywhere other than in the movies,” Goldstein said. “Cinemas, on the big screen with the big sound and this shared experience, make a big star, or at least show the talent of a big star.”
The first ” dune “It was opened under complicated conditions in October 2021. It was one of the last films in Warner Bros.’s divisive plan to debut its major films simultaneously in theaters and on its streaming platform. And yet it still deserves more $40 million in its first weekend and grossed over $400 million worldwide.
“Denis Villeneuve, along with Christopher Nolan, is a filmmaker whose name alone inspires people to go to the movies,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore.
This weekend, he added, “moves the needle in a big way.”
Heading into the weekend, box office totals were about 20% lower than last year (when “Avatar: The Way of Water,” a 2022 release, drove everything up). The closest equivalent this year is “Wonka,” still a hit but not as big as “Avatar 2.” After the “Dune” weekend, the deficit will be closer to 13%.
“It shows how important a film can be to the overall health of the industry,” Dergarabedian said. “But this isn’t a one-hit wonder for March. It’s a momentum business. Now we’re getting wind back in our sails as we head into March, April and the summer movie season.”
Warner Bros. is one of those studios that will be back with another big movie soon, with “Godzilla x Kong” in late March, followed by “Furiosa” in May, the sequel to “Beetlejuice” in September and the “Joker” -Continued in October.
“This is our year,” Goldstein said. “Exhibitors are fighting for their lives, but we can be smart and work with them to keep our business relevant to audiences.”
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday in U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. The final domestic figures will be published on Monday.
1. “Dune: Part Two,” $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. “Migration, $2.5 million.
7. “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba – To the Hashi,” $2.1 million.
8. “Wonka,” $1.7 million.
9. “Argylle,” $1.4 million.
10. “The Beekeeper,” $1.1 million.