Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two has made an impressive entry at the box office. The film has been receiving rave reviews ahead of its release and has now become the highest-grossing movie of 2024 within its debut week. With an initial opening of $32.1 million, the sequel has surged to reach $81.5 million in domestic earnings, securing its position as the biggest opening debut of the year so far.
However, the film still lost to Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer with a modest margin. Starring Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya, Austin Butler, and Florence Pugh, the sequel delves into Paul Atreides’ quest for vengeance against those responsible for his family’s downfall, while forging alliances with Chani and the Fremen.
Dune: Part Two Falls Just Short of Beating Oppenheimer
Acclaimed filmmaker Christopher Nolan has openly lauded Denis Villeneuve’s work on the Dune film series. Along with the 2021 film, its sequel Dune: Part Two has also received high praise from Nolan, even being compared to The Empire Strikes Back.
However, the highly praised sequel has yet failed to beat his Oscar-nominated film Oppenheimer when it comes to the domestic opening. Dune: Part Two boasted the biggest opening weekend of 2024, accumulating an estimated $81.5 million domestically and an additional $97 million internationally for a global total of $178 million.
However, Oppenheimer, which was released alongside Barbie, achieved a slightly higher domestic opening. The Oscar-nominated film went on to record an opening weekend debut of $82.5 million. Although the margin of $1 million is quite modest, it still positions Nolan’s biographical thriller ahead of Dune: Part Two.
The release of Dune: Part Two is also outpacing its predecessor, Dune, by a significant margin. The original film, which debuted with $41 million domestically, took over two weeks to reach the $80 million milestone and ultimately amassed a global total gross of $434.8 million. However, the simultaneous theatrical and Max streaming platform release is also cited as a contributing factor to the box office numbers.
Dune: Part Two Director Didn’t Want to Hire Dave Bautista in One of the Biggest Movies of His Career
Legendary Entertainment Discusses Dune: Part Three Amidst Dune 2 Success
Reacting to the success of Dune: Part Two, Josh Grode, the CEO of Legendary Entertainment, has hinted at the possibility of a third installment in the film series. Grode expressed his admiration for the film, saying,
“It is a stupendous piece of filmmaking. There’s no other way to say it. I’ve just about run out of adjectives.”
He also addressed the potential for a third film, as he emphasized that the decision would ultimately hinge on director Denis Villeneuve’s ability to deliver another exceptional experience. The CEO of Legendary Entertainment said, as per CNBC
“We have to have all creative stakeholders aligned and support the vision—I think everybody is very excited and really enjoying this moment and if Denis [Villeneuve] gets the script right and he feels that he can deliver another experience on par with what we’ve just completed then I don’t see why not.”
While the discussions of a third installment in the series have been going on for a while, the strong opening of Dune: Part Two has elevated them even more. Villeneuve has also expressed his desire for a threequel and has also shared that the script for the third film is under development. However, the filmmaker has emphasized that fans might have to wait a few years for the next installment, as he shared that he does not want to rush the threequel.
Dune: Part Two is playing in theatres.
Oppenheimer is available to stream on Peacock TV.
