Dune: Part Two was released in the theatres on 1st March 2024 and thanks to director Denis Villeneuve’s vision, the film was a massive success. With many positive reviews from critics, it is being labeled as one of the best sequels of all time. Obviously, this was only possible because of 2021’s Dune. At the same time, Warner Bros. almost ruined the film by releasing it on HBO Max on the same day as its theatrical release.
In an opinionated piece, Villeneuve opened up about the involvement of Warner Bros and AT&T in the release of Dune (2021). Villeneuve was sure that the film would be ruined because of this decision, but Warner Bros. assured him the sequel would happen if it performed well on HBO Max. Thankfully, the film was a hit and led to the creation of Dune: Part Two.
Denis Villeneuve bashed Warner Bros. for its cruel decision
In 2020, director Denis Villeneuve wrote an opinionated piece for Variety, where he talked about Warner Bros’ decision to release Dune (2021) on HBO Max on the same day as its theatrical release. Now, Warner Bros plans to do the same with Dune: Part Two. The director wrote,
“I learned in the news that Warner Bros. has decided to release ‘Dune’ on HBO Max at the same time as our theatrical release, using prominent images from our movie to promote their streaming service – There is absolutely no love for cinema, nor for the audience here. It is all about the survival of a telecom mammoth, one that is currently bearing an astronomical debt of more than $150 billion.”
The director hated this idea and the involvement of AT&T further infuriated him. Villeneuve bashed Warner Bros. for making a “sudden reversal from being a legacy home for filmmakers to the new era of complete disregard draws.” Dune faced several delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic but was ultimately released on October 22nd, 2021.
Denis Villeneuve was sure Warner Bros killed the Dune franchise
Further in the article, Denis Villeneuve explained how Warner Bros may have killed the Dune franchise as the HBO Max release would prevent the film from being a financial success,
“Warner Bros.’ decision means ‘Dune’ won’t have the chance to perform financially in order to be viable and piracy will ultimately triumph. Warner Bros. might just have killed the ‘Dune’ franchise. This one is for the fans. AT&T’s John Stankey said that the streaming horse left the barn. In truth, the horse left the barn for the slaughterhouse.”
Even though Villeneuve was against this idea, Warner Bros decided to go ahead with it, assuring him that the sequel would be happening based on Dune‘s performance on HBO Max. Fortunately, Dune was a box office success, grossing almost $435 million on a $165 million budget. With positive reviews from critics as well as fans, the film’s success allowed Villeneuve to create Dune: Part Two.
