Dune: Part Two is already shaping up to be a beloved sequel based on the extremely positive first reactions, but it might just be a box-office blockbuster as well. The film is set to premiere in just a few days, and box-office projections are looking at a $170 million worldwide opening.
The forecast estimates that Dune: Part Two could see somewhere between $70 million and $80 million domestically, but Warner Bros. reportedly feels a little more conservative with a $65 million opening. Some believe it could open as high as $90 million, but either way, the Dune sequel should have the biggest opening weekend of the year so far. The international projections could see anywhere between $80 million to $90 million from close to 70 markets.
Even if the box-office for Dune: Part Two lands on the lower side of the forecast, it will be well above the take of its predecessor, which opened with $41 million in 2021. Of course, this was during the pandemic, which saw the movie simultaneously released on HBO Max. The first movie ended its run with $434.8 million worldwide. I think we can expect the sequel to do better.
Our own Chris Bumbray gave the film a rave review. “In this day of assembly line blockbusters, it’s a miracle that director Denis Villeneuve has managed to get not one but two incredible, uncompromised epics like this through the studio system,” he wrote. “It works as a tentpole blockbuster, but Dune Part Two is also filmmaking at the highest level. It’s a real cinematic event everyone owes it to themselves to take in and hopefully won’t be forgotten come Oscar time. It’s a masterpiece.” You can check out the rest of Bumbray’s review right here.
Dune: Part Two will “explore the mythic journey of Paul Atreides as he unites with Chani and the Fremen while on a path of revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the known universe, he endeavors to prevent a terrible future only he can foresee.” The film will hit theaters on March 1st.