“Dune: Part 2” breaks box office record and makes million-dollar debut in the USA

“Dune: Part Two” the long-awaited sequel to one of the most popular science fiction adaptations of recent years, secured the first place on its opening weekend, with strong sales in the United States, reaching US$81.5 million, according to studio estimates. Globally, the film grossed US$178.5 million.

“This is exactly what box office needed, and much more than any of us could have predicted,” said Jeff Goldstein, president of domestic distribution at Warner Bros. Pictures, which distributed the film. “This is especially true because it is a Science fiction , which is a difficult genre to understand. And we raised $178.5 million worldwide, which is a big step forward.”

The sequence surpassed the first Dune film which debuted with $41 million when it was released in U.S. theaters in October 2021. It also became a highlight for some of its star-studded casts .

According to Comscore data, “Dune: Part Two” is the biggest opening for Timothee Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson and Austin Butler. It is also director Denis Villeneuve's highest-grossing film.

“We created a cultural moment, and it all started with this extraordinary film that Denis Villeneuve told in a really compelling way, and a cast worked hard around the world for this film,” said Goldstein.

Viewers have also been enthusiastically invested in seeing the film on a bigger screen. Forty-eight percent of total U.S. box office sales this weekend came from premium large formats like IMAX 70mm, IMAX Digital and Dolby Cinema, where tickets are sold at slightly higher prices than those in full-size theaters. normal.

“'Dune: Part Two' has become a must-see event on the biggest screen possible, and given director Denis Villeneuve's reputation as a cinematic genius who uses the huge cinema screen, this should come as no surprise,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior analyst of Comscore Media.

Goldstein said the appeal of “Dune: Part Two” on larger screens bodes well for the film’s staying power, as audiences are eager to see it in theaters.

“Advanced sales are really balanced during this week and the next two weeks,” he noted. “We are entering the spring break period [no Hemisfério Norte]where this film really has the opportunity to play for a long time.”

2024 box office got off to a slow start

“Dune: Part Two” is the highest-grossing opening weekend this year, warming up a tepid first quarter. Box office revenue fell 13.5% compared to the same period last year, Comscore data shows.

This is despite wider theatrical releases, with 15 films being released so far this year, compared to 12 in the same period in 2023.

While 2024 still far surpasses 2021 and 2022 – the two years most affected by Covid-era production shutdowns – it is still significantly behind pre-pandemic sales.

Between January 1 and March 3, 2019, 18 theatrical releases grossed more than $1.5 billion, 36.4% more than the $996 million raised so far this year.

But the success of “Dune: Part Two” highlights the evolving nature of the industry and the importance of offering audiences compelling stories to draw people to theaters, industry experts say.

February and March have seen the release of films from established franchises and properties over the past three years, including “The Batman” ($134 million opening weekend), “Creed III” ($58 million) and “Uncharted ” ($51 million).

Studios traditionally rely on the blockbuster months of summer, winter break, spring break, Valentine's Day, and the long Presidents' Day weekend for revenue, but the end of winter and the beginning of Spring has proven to be a safer bet than the often retiring months of January, August and September.

“Just compare 'Dune: Part Two' and the rest of this weekend's crop of films to see how beneficial this release date, which was moved from October last year to this weekend, was for the film,” he said. Dergarabedian. .