Summary
- Dune: Part Two is expected to have a strong opening weekend at the box office, with estimates of $65-80 million
- The film features a star-studded cast, including returning and new stars such as Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, and Josh Brolin
- The film is a continuation of the story of Paul Atreides as he unites with Chani and the Fremen while on a warpath of revenge
Hollywood and Warner Bros. are expecting big things from Dune: Part Two this weekend as the opening box office estimates are big coming in at double that of the first movie.
On the high end, some estimates offer Dune: Part Two could open to $80 million, which is just about double that of the first Dune‘s opening back in 2021 of $41 million. Warner Bros. has a more conservative estimate of $65 million.
The first Dune was well-received and both films features a stellar cast, so likely the sequel will do better than the first film which finished with $402 million at the box office and only $108 million domestically.
The first Dune also brought in $5.1 million in Thursday previews so we’ll get our first indication how Part Two is doing this Thursday as well.
Thursday Update: It is reported the Thursday previews are looking like double that of the first movie, around $10 Million+, which according to Deadline, includes $2 million from the IMAX fan event screening that took place February 25. The number looks to be one of the best Thursday previews of the year, as Barbie scored $22.3M, Oppenheimer brought in $10.5M, and Five Nights at Freddy grabbed $10.3M.
Update #2: Dune: Part Two brought in $12 million on Thursday, more than double that of the first film.
The flick also has stellar Rotten Tomatoes score as the critics score is at 94% and the Audience score is at 95%.
I loved the first movie, so I’m looking forward to Part Two, and I’ll be rewatching it again prior to going to see Part Two this weekend, as Dune is currently on Netflix until Feb. 29.
What is Dune: Part Two about?
The saga continues as award-winning filmmaker Denis Villeneuve embarks on “Dune: Part Two,” the next chapter of Frank Herbert’s celebrated novel Dune, with an expanded all-star international ensemble cast. The film, from Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures, is the highly anticipated follow-up to 2021’s six-time Academy Award-winning “Dune.”
The big-screen epic continues the adaptation of Frank Herbert’s acclaimed bestseller Dune with returning and new stars, including Oscar nominee Timothée Chalamet (“Wonka,” “Call Me by Your Name”), Zendaya (“Spider-Man: No Way Home,” “Malcolm & Marie,” “Euphoria”), Rebecca Ferguson (“Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning”), Oscar nominee Josh Brolin (“Avengers: End Game,” “Milk”), Oscar nominee Austin Butler (“Elvis,” “Once Upon A Time…In Hollywood”), Oscar nominee Florence Pugh (“Black Widow,” “Little Women”), Dave Bautista (the “Guardians of the Galaxy” films, “Thor: Love and Thunder”), Oscar winner Christopher Walken (“The Deer Hunter,” “Hairspray”), Stephen McKinley Henderson (“Fences,” “Lady Bird”), Léa Seydoux (the “James Bond” franchise and “Crimes of the Future”), with Stellan Skarsgård (the “Mamma Mia!” films, “Avengers: Age of Ultron”), with Oscar nominee Charlotte Rampling (“45 Years,” “Assassin’s Creed”), and Oscar winner Javier Bardem (“No Country for Old Men,” “Being the Ricardos”).
“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. 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.
Villeneuve directed from a screenplay he co-wrote with Jon Spaihts based on 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, Kim Herbert, with Kevin J. Anderson serving as creative consultant.
Villeneuve is again collaborating with his “Dune” creatives: Oscar-winning director of photography Greig Fraser; Oscar-winning production designer Patrice Vermette; Oscar-winning editor Joe Walker; Oscar-winning visual effects supervisor Paul Lambert; Oscar-nominated costume designer Jacqueline West. Oscar-winning composer Hans Zimmer is again on hand to create the score.
“Dune: Part Two” was filmed on location in Budapest, Abu Dhabi, Jordan and Italy. The film is slated for a March 1, 2024 release in theaters and IMAX nationwide and internationally beginning on 28 February 2024, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.
