In a strange, uncertain time, Denis Villeneuve’s first Dune was made available on HBO Max with the option of going to the theaters. As the pandemic raised a number of concerns, audiences were more keen to stay at home and watch the reimagining of this Frank Herbert epic story. Alas, Dune was not the hit that Warner Bros. was hoping for due to this technicality. However, Dune: Part Two has not only opened while theaters are back in full swing, but the movie opens after a bit of a delay when the studio decided to postpone the release since the actors would not be able to promote the film during the Screen Actors Guild strike last year. The delay would only make the fans’ appetite grow stronger and fan the flames of anticipation.
Deadline is now reporting that Dune: Part Two is sprinting out of the gate with a big early Thursday opening that came out above $10 million. It is said that $2 million of the total was from a special IMAX fan screening that had taken place on February 25. It is noted that the total will fluctuate since these estimates do not officially come from Warner Bros. They may actually come in higher or lower on this Friday morning. The early previews started Thursday afternoon at 3 p.m. These numbers come in at double the numbers that the first Dune garnered in 2021. Villeneuve’s first entry in the series brought in $5.1 million. However, showtimes then were also limited, and the Thursday showings started at 6 p.m. instead of 3 p.m.
Dune: Part Two‘s $10 million-plus opening is the biggest debut since last summer’s much-anticipated double release of Barbie and Oppenheimer. Warner Bros. got to see the Margot Robbie-Greta Gerwig vehicle open with $22.3 million, while Universal would bear witness to Christopher Nolan’s 3-hour historical talkie rake in $10.5 million on Thursday, July 20. This opening comes after a disastrous Christmas box office for Warner Bros. that featured another Timothée Chalamet film, the delightful Wonka. Although Warner Bros. got to have three big releases over the holidays, none would match up to an opening like Dune: Part Two.