‘Dune 2’ Global Box Office Nears Massive Milestone

Estimated read time 3 min read

The Big Picture

  • Dune: Part Two
    continues to dominate globally with a current haul of $367 million, surpassing its predecessor’s earnings.
  • The film needs $500 million to break even, aiming for a projected $700 million lifetime gross despite its lengthy runtime.
  • Director Denis Villeneuve plans to conclude the trilogy, with the current installment receiving rave reviews and strong international performance.

Building on the momentum that it generated in its blockbuster opening weekend, Dune: Part Two delivered an excellent performance in its sophomore showing at the worldwide box office. The epic science-fiction sequel held on remarkably well in holdover territories, as it opened in the crucial market of China this weekend. All in all, Dune: Part Two is now almost certain to finish in the upper range of its lifetime projections, as it passed a couple of major milestones at both the domestic and global box office this weekend.

With $157 million domestically and another $210 million from over 70 overseas markets, Dune: Part Two’s cumulative global haul now stands at $367 million. This past week, the film overtook the lifetime domestic earnings of its predecessor, Dune, which was infamously released day-and-date in both theaters and on streaming. The first Dune concluded its theatrical run with over $108 million domestically and over $400 million worldwide; it recently added $30 million to its global haul after a one-week re-release in the run-up to Dune: Part Two.

Produced on a reported budget of $190 million, which it nearly recovered in its opening weekend alone, Dune: Part Two will need to gross around $500 million globally in order to break-even. As per current trends, the film is eyeing a lifetime worldwide haul of around $700 million, which would be phenomenal for the kind of movie that it is. Despite the ecstatic reviews — the film sits at a “fresh” 93% approval rating on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes — it must be mentioned that Dune: Part Two is an unusually long blockbuster that runs nearly three hours long.

‘Dune: Part Two’ Needs to Gross Half-a-Billion Dollars To Break-Even

In that regard, the film can be compared to Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, which generated $960 million globally. Like Nolan’s film, director Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two is also proving to be particularly popular on IMAX and Premium Large Format screens. The film’s biggest international markets are the U.K., France, Germany, South Korea and Australia. This weekend, Dune: Part Two also opened in China, where it generated over $7 million. It’ll debut in Japan next week.

Dune: Part Two concludes Villeneuve’s two-part adaptation of Frank Herbert’s seminal science-fiction novel. The filmmaker intends to direct a third installment, which is looking more and more likely with every passing day. Starring Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya alongside a smashing ensemble cast, Dune: Part Two is currently playing in theaters. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.

Dune Part Two Poster

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