Denis Villeneuve‘s Dune: Part Two leads the box office with a global debut of $178 million USD.
According to reports, the Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya-starring sequel earned $81.5 million USD in its domestic debut to become the biggest opening weekend of the year, as well as the largest since Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour in October 2023. The film also earned an additional $97 million USD from the international market. 48% of Part Two’s domestic total comes from Imax and other premium large formats, with Imax ticket sales earning $18.5 million USD; Variety adds that the demand to watch the sequel in 70mm film (Villeneuve‘s format of choice) is so high that audiences are choosing to catch 3:15 a.m. showtimes.
“This is an outstanding opening for a science-fiction [sequel],” David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research said. “Audiences are connecting with these human, vulnerable [characters].”
“Our most iconic film locations are virtually sold out for weeks,” added Imax CEO Rich Gelfond.
Dune: Part Two cost a total of almost $290 million USD to produce and promote globally, and if it keeps up its numbers, it could very well be a profitable film.
