Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures are vehemently promoting their upcoming sequel film, Dune 2, and theatres hope that it will revive the currently slow box office. According to reports, the second film in the epic sci-fi series was made with a whopping budget of $190 million.
While fans hope the film delivers on its insane budget, some also point out that it still has a lower budget than Marvel’s recent failure, The Marvels.
The Marvels only grossed $206.1 million from the theaters, the lowest for an MCU movie, and could not recoup its production budget. Interestingly, Dune 2‘s budget is more than the production budget of Dune (2021), which was made on a budget of $165 million.
The Insane Production Budget Of Dune 2 Is Still Lower Than That Of The Marvels
Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya will return in Denis Villeneuve‘s much-anticipated Dune sequel, Dune: Part Two. Chalamet’s Paul Atreides was last seen running from the royals who betrayed his family in the first film. Dune 2 expands the star cast of the film with the addition of Austin Butler and Florence Pugh besides Chalamet and Zendaya.
According to Variety, the production budget of the film stands at a whopping $190 million. While the production budget is insanely high, recent first reviews suggest that the film will be a blockbuster at the box office. According to Deadline, the film received rave reviews from critics, with one calling it “the definitive sci-fi epic of a generation.”
As the film aims for a massive win at theaters, fans on X noted that the high budget of the film was still lower than the insane amount spent by studios on the MCU and DC films. Fans particularly mentioned the recent example of the Disney (Marvel) film, The Marvels. According to Forbes, the Brie Larson-led film had a net budget of $219.8 million and a gross budget of $274.8 million.
One fan also mentioned how the first film did a great job with $165 million and expected the sequel to do wonders with the higher budget. Another fan was already in awe of the world created for Dune 2 and shared that he could see where each dollar spent on the film went. Several fan reactions read:
Marvel and DC needs to take some notes
— Ghilman Malik (@GhilmanMalik) February 21, 2024
Meanwhile . . .https://t.co/fAUht41Uee
— Mon Ark (@mon_arkYT) February 21, 2024
Compare it to MCU movies budget and the quality of the films. You'll know.
— Cimol Atreides 🐁 (@CineflurID) February 21, 2024
The first film had a $165 M budget and did a marvelous job. With a higher budget it will do wonders. ✨
— Say My Name (@Name__Error_404) February 21, 2024
And you can see where every dollar went !!! pic.twitter.com/q3Pa8OCNTI
— jezza (@JezzaBondiBeach) February 21, 2024
The production budgets of most of the recent Disney projects were ridiculously high. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania was considered a box office flop despite grossing more than the theatrical success of Dune. Dune 2 is expected to surpass its predecessor’s Covid-time box office numbers.
Dune 2 Is Expected To Be The First $50 Million Opener Since October
The positive early reviews have undoubtedly contributed to the hype for Dune 2. According to Variety, the presales and early tracking of the film suggest that the film will be raking in big numbers at the box office. Villeneuve’s epic is expected to collect at least $60 million to $80 million in the domestic box office. Some predictions suggest that these numbers may go as high as $90 million.
Dune: Part Two will become the first movie to open at more than $50 million since the release of Five Nights at Freddy’s in October. Chalamet is already a box-office star, with his recent film, Wonka grossing more than $600 million at the global box office. Dune 2 also has the advantage of being the first big release of 2024 and the promotions so far have been exceptional.
At this point, WB and Legendary Pictures should be given credit for the decision to delay the film’s release from November 2023 to March 2024 due to the strikes. It was one major factor that affected the performance of The Marvels in the first place. Dune is now available for streaming on Max. Dune 2 will hit theaters on March 1, 2024.
