Who’s ready for a Sandworm ride? The long-awaited (and delayed) sequel to Denis Villeneuve’s Dune is getting spicy in theaters, and we want to know what you think about the film! Anticipation for Dune: Part Two has been through the roof since last year, and then the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes hit Hollywood. Legendary Entertainment and Warner Bros. Film Group agreed to delay the film until 2024, knowing that a robust promotional campaign for the science-fiction epic would serve the project (and the box office) well.
The delay is paying off as Dune: Part Two already took $12 million home from preview screenings. The film debuted in 4,500 locations, with Imax screenings bringing in 38% of the pot. I’ve got tickets for an 11:30 screening at my local theater tomorrow, joining the crowds already rushing to theaters to experience one of 2024’s most anticipated features. Earlier this week, we attended the Dune 2 gala premiere in Montreal and interviewed Monsieur Villeneuve. Check it out:
Our Editor-in-Chief and reviewer Chris Bumbray awarded Dune: Part Two with a coveted 10/10 score in his review, calling Villeneuve’s sequel an “uncompromised epic,” a “masterpiece,” and “filmmaking at the highest level.”
Early tickets for Dune: Part Two went on sale on January 26, with receipts stacking like hotcakes, outpacing Universal’s Oppenheimer, which is quite the feat. Dune: Part Two may blow past the projected $65M+ as theater offerings have been slim for weeks. Movie fans are a tenacious bunch with money burning in their pockets. It seems harsh to lay the saving of a dismal box office at Dune’s feet, but Hollywood is still recuperating from the pandemic and strikes.
Dune: Part Two “will explore the mythic journey of Paul Atreides as he unites with Chani and the Fremen while on a warpath of revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family,” says the film’s official synopsis. “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.”
Check out more from Villeneuve and the cast in our interviews below;
Denis Villeneuve directs from a screenplay he co-wrote with Jon Spaihts based on Frank Herbert’s novel. The film is produced by Mary Parent, Cale Boyter, Villeneuve, Tanya Lapointe, and Patrick McCormick. The executive producers are Josh Grode, Herbert W. Gains, Jon Spaihts, Thomas Tull, Brian Herbert, Byron Merritt, and Kim Herbert, with Kevin J. Anderson as a creative consultant.
What do you think about Dune: Part Two? Let us know in the comments section below, and please be mindful of spoilers, as many are waiting to escape the work week so they can experience the film for themselves. Cheers!