The Big Picture
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Dune: Part Two
surpasses its predecessor at the box office with $111 million in the US in just one week. - The film, praised by critics, continues Paul Atreides’ journey with an ensemble cast led by Timothée Chalamet.
- Despite challenges, the sequel is on track to reach $600 million globally, showcasing its massive success.
Shai-Hulud is shaping up to be a force to be reckoned with — even against itself. Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures’ Dune: Part Two has only been in theaters for one week, but has already passed the total domestic box office haul of its predecessor, 2021’s Dune: Part One. The Denis Villeneuve-directed sci-fi epic is already one of the biggest hits of the year at the box office, and doesn’t appear to be slowing down.
Through its seventh day in theaters, Dune: Part Two has brought in just over $111 million in the United States. In comparison, Dune ended its domestic box office run with just over $109 million. While the second installment hasn’t made quite as much overseas, Dune: Part Two is already more than halfway to catching the global box office run of Dune, which ended at $400 million. Not only has Dune: Part Two already passed its predecessor, but it is also execeeding most analysts’ expectations.
This appears to be a massive upswing for a two-part film from its first chapter to its second chapter, though there may be a few reasons for this. Dune received a day-and-date release on HBO Max, partially as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, people that wanted to catch the beginning of the story could do so at home, compared to Dune: Part Two which was released theatrically only. Despite this, the project remained popular among film buffs which helped it secure box office tickets, and Dune recently added another $30 million to its original $400 million haul as the result of a one-week re-release. However, Dune: Part Two will likely pass that easily at this pace, and is currently tracking to earn around $600 million total at the global box office.
‘Dune: Part Two’ Has Been Critically Acclaimed
Much of the success of Dune: Part Two has been courtesy of the extreme hype surrounding its release. Based on the classic sci-fi novel by Frank Herbert, the film continues the story of Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet), who escapes into the desert with his mother (Rebecca Ferguson), Chani (Zendaya) and the rest of the Fremen. From there, he must learn the ways of the native people of Arrakis while also fighting to reclaim the planet from the Harkonnens, stopping the Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV (Christopher Walken), and dealing with the Fremen prophecy that overshadows him.
The film, which has received critical acclaim, also stars Stellan Skarsgård, Javier Bardem, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Dave Bautista, and more. Villeneuve directed Dune: Part Two from a screenplay he wrote with Jon Spaihts. The film is a co-production between Legendary and Warners and was produced by Villeneuve, Tanya Lapointe, Mary Parent, Cale Boyter, Patrick McCormick, and Jessca Derhammer.
Dune: Part Two is now playing in theaters.
Dune: Part Two
Paul Atreides unites with Chani and the Fremen while seeking revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family.
Release Date March 1, 2024
Director Denis Villeneuve
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