Current:Home > Contact-us‘Dune: Part Two’ brings spice power to the box office with $81.5 million debut-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
‘Dune: Part Two’ brings spice power to the box office with $81.5 million debut
View Date:2024-12-24 10:22:46
Movie theaters were looking for a savoir and “ Dune: Part Two ” is delivering on the promise. Armed with sandworms, big screen spectacle and the star power of Timothée Chalamet, Denis Villeneuve ’s science fiction epic stormed the North American box office this weekend earning $81.5 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.
It’s the first major hit of 2024, and one that was sorely needed by exhibitors. Although there have been holdovers from December that have continued to earn, like Warner Bros.’ “ Wonka ” (also starring Chalamet) and Sony’s romantic comedy “Anyone But You,” the box office is in a bit of a drought. In the first two months of 2024, no films have crossed $100 million domestically. The highest earning movies have been “The Beekeeper,” “Bob Marley: One Love” and “Mean Girls.”
“Dune 2" rode a wave of great reviews (94% on Rotten Tomatoes) into a marketplace that was essentially free of competition. Warner Bros. released it in 4,071 locations in the U.S. and Canada, where audiences across the board gave it the highest PostTrak marks and an A CinemaScore. According to exit data, men accounted for 59% of opening weekend ticket buyers and 64% were over the age of 25. The sequel was primarily financed by Legendary.
Premium large format screens like IMAX and 70mm accounted for 48% of the opening weekend business. It marked a March record for IMAX, which made up $18.5 million of the overall take. The $81.5 million debut is a record for Villeneuve, Chalamet, Austin Butler and Rebecca Ferguson.
Originally planned for an October 2023 release, Warner Bros. bumped the movie to March amid the Hollywood strikes that would have prevented its starry cast from doing the promotional circuit. The global promo tour has been on hyperdrive for about a month, driving conversations with buzzy interviews, the viral sandworm-inspired popcorn bucket and eye-popping fashion moments from the stylish young cast – peaking with Zendaya’s silver cyborg showstopper (vintage Mugler) in London. They’ve made stops in Mexico City, South Korea, Abu Dhabi and New York City.
The first “ Dune ” opened under complicated conditions in October 2021. It was one of the last films of Warner Bros.’ divisive plan to simultaneously debut its major movies in theaters and on its streaming platform. And yet it still earned over $40 million in its first weekend and went on to gross over $400 million worldwide.
veryGood! (37)
Related
- Saving for retirement? How to account for Social Security benefits
- Court Sides With Trump on Keystone XL Permit, but Don’t Expect Fast Progress
- Harvard's admission process is notoriously tough. Here's how the affirmative action ruling may affect that.
- A Kentucky Power Plant’s Demise Signals a Reckoning for Coal
- Demure? Brain rot? Oxford announces shortlist for 2024 Word of the Year: Cast your vote
- Calif. Earmarks a Quarter of Its Cap-and-Trade Riches for Environmental Justice
- Kathy Hilton Confirms Whether or Not She's Returning to The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
- In Exxon Climate Fraud Case, Judge Rejects Defense Tactic that Attacked the Prosecutor
- Democrat Janelle Bynum flips Oregon’s 5th District, will be state’s first Black member of Congress
- Taylor Swift and Matty Healy Break Up After Whirlwind Romance
Ranking
- Young Black and Latino men say they chose Trump because of the economy and jobs. Here’s how and why
- New York’s Giant Pension Fund Doubles Climate-Smart Investment
- How a Farm Threatened by Climate Change Is Trying to Limit Its Role in Causing It
- As Wildfire Smoke Blots Out the Sun in Northern California, Many Ask: ‘Where Are the Birds?’
- Sydney Sweeney Slams Women Empowerment in the Industry as Being Fake
- Prince Harry Feared Being Ousted By Royals Over Damaging Rumor James Hewitt Is His Dad
- Power Giant AEP Talks Up Clean Energy, but Coal Is Still King in Its Portfolio
- I've Tried Over a Hundred Mascaras—This Is My New Go-To for the Quickest Faux-Looking Lashes
Recommendation
-
Chrysler recalls over 200k Jeep, Dodge vehicles over antilock-brake system: See affected models
-
Trump Administration Offers Drilling Leases in the Arctic Wildlife Refuge, but No Major Oil Firms Bid
-
Climate Scientists Take Their Closest Look Yet at the Warming Impact of Aviation Emissions
-
Read full text of the Supreme Court affirmative action decision and ruling in high-stakes case
-
California Gov. Gavin Newsom will spend part of week in DC as he tries to Trump-proof state policies
-
Man with weapons and Jan. 6 warrant arrested after running toward Obamas' D.C. home
-
84 of the Most Popular Father’s Day Gift Ideas for Every Type of Dad
-
Western Coal Takes Another Hit as Appeals Court Rules Against Export Terminal