By Filmmaker Denis Villeneuve’s big-budget sequel “Dune: Part Two” opens Friday and projections indicate the film is on track for a $70-80 million domestic opening weekend.
In addition, it is expected to take in a further $80-90 million overseas where it will open in roughly seventy markets. The film’s studio, Warner Bros. Pictures, is playing things safer with their domestic debut estimate at $65 million.
With box-office revenue for 2024 down 18% overall on last year due to the lack of must-see new releases in January and February, exhibitors are in desperate need of a hit and this will deliver the biggest opening since “Five Nights at Freddy’s” kicked off with $80 million domestically back in October.
Unlike that film however, “Dune: Part Two” is receiving universal praise with stellar reviews, including a 97% (8.7/10) on Rotten Tomatoes from nearly 200 reviews counted.
The first film opened during the pandemic to $41 million domestically and debuted simultaneously on HBO Max. It ended its theatrical run with $402 million worldwide.
This is expected to do far better, and it’s going to need it with a production budget of $190 million and a large marketing and promotional spend.
Source: Variety
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