Why Dune Part 2 Blew Everyone Away At The Box Office
How did a three hour movie about worms and spice make serious cash in its opening weekend? It probably had something to do with the all-star cast — and the fact that we’ve been waiting for it for two and a half years. This is how “Dune: Part Two” managed to dominate the box office over a single weekend. It’s a sequel world, and we just live in it. Whenever a movie does well, the first thing executives consider is whether or not they can milk it for another installment, even if continuing the story doesn’t actually make any sense.
“This is only the beginning.” “Dune” is a little different, though. Since the 2021 film only adapts the first half of Frank Herberts’ epic novel, director Denis Villeneuve always intended on producing another one. Thankfully, a worldwide box office of more than $430 million was enough to get Warner Bros. to greenlight the sequel without scrapping it and using it as a tax write-off. It’s a good thing they did, too: in just its opening weekend, per Deadline, “Dune: Part Two” grossed a pretty hefty sum of $81.5 million domestic, with an expected $160 million in terms of worldwide projections.
“Wow, that’s a lot of money. Where do you keep it all?” Considering that “Dune: Part One” technically tells an incomplete story, it makes sense that lots of
be closer in quality to “Top Gun: Maverick” than “Speed 2: Cruise Control.” The planet Arrakis has always been full of familiar faces. David Lynch’s “Dune” was a star-studded affair, as was Alejandro Jodorowsky’s vision of an adaptation that never materialized. Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune” may not feature Patrick Stewart or Orson Welles, but it still boasts a cast that any director would be lucky to work with. In the lead role of Paul Atreides, of course, is “Call Me By Your Name” actor and former video game YouTuber Timotheé Chalamet — and he’s not alone. He’s backed by an all-star
cast that includes the likes of Josh Brolin, Zendaya, Stellan Skarsgård, Rebecca Ferguson, Dave Bautista, and Javier Bardem. Unfortunately for fans of conventionally attractive men, Oscar Isaac and Jason Momoa don’t return in the sequel — but if you’re into freaky-looking bald guys, Austin Butler’s Feyd-Rautha should definitely hit the spot. Also joining the cast are Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan, Léa Seydoux as Lady Margot, and Christopher Walken as Emperor Shaddam IV. “Dune” without the Fremen would be like “Avatar” without the Na’vi, or the other “Avatar” without the Air Nomads: they’re the indigenous people forced to take up
arms when invaders come to claim their land. Needless to say, they’re a pretty important element of life on Arrakis. “I’m Fremen. The desert’s my home.” “Part One” didn’t give them as much screen time as some fans of Frank Herbert’s novel had hoped. That’s not Denis Villeneuve’s fault, though: it’s just how the book is structured. The end of “Dune: Part One” teases a larger role for the Fremen in “Part Two” — and thankfully, it doesn’t disappoint in that department. More of the Fremen means more of Zendaya as Chani and Javier Bardem as Stilgar — and with
Paul becoming one of them, you better get used to seeing plenty of bright blue eyes. Whether you’re interested in their unique customs or the relationship between Chani and Paul, the presence of the Fremen is a pretty big draw for “Dune: Part Two.” But let’s be honest: we’re really here for the worms. “We’re about to enter worm territory.” The deserts of Arrakis would be pretty boring if they were anything like the deserts of Earth — but in “Dune,” there are dangerous secrets lurking beneath the surface. “The worms.” The sandworms of “Dune” — or Shai-Hulud, as they’re
also known — grow to colossal size, play an important role in Fremen culture, and inspired an ill-conceived popcorn bucket available now at your local theater. “And I’m not scared of the teeth in the middle…” When they’re not filled with snacks, the sandworms of Arrakis are busy protecting their territory, racing around eating trespassers with their razor-sharp butthole mouths. At least, that’s what it was like when they showed up in “Dune: Part One.” Things are different for “Part Two.” Like the T-800 in “Terminator,” the sandworms change from terrifying monsters into powerful protectors. In Herbert’s novels, the Fremen
practice the art of catching and riding sandworms — and now that Paul has joined their ranks, he’s getting in on the fun. The promise of even more worms doing even more cool things definitely persuaded more than a few people into buying a ticket on opening weekend. The first book in the “Dune” series ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, but Villeneuve’s “Dune: Part One” runs into an even more frustrating conclusion. The movie spends two and a half hours building up the story, only to have everything come crashing down for Paul and the rest of his
family and friends. Kinda like Shakespeare, but in space. The Harkonnens reinvade, the family patriarch Leto is killed, and Paul and his mother Jessica find themselves in exile in the hostile desert. They narrowly survive a sandstorm and a sandworm encounter before running right into Stilgar and his Fremen warriors — including Chani. Paul also makes his first kill by dispatching the militant Jamis in ritual combat. After that, the group heads off to find shelter… and that’s it. Paul’s life is in shambles, his father is dead, his inheritance is lost, and the movie is over. There’s not much
in the way of closure at all — so naturally, plenty of fans couldn’t wait a single day longer once “Dune: Part Two” opened. “You wait till you see it… it’s beautiful out there.” “Dune: Part One” released in October of 2021, which wasn’t the best time for the movie theater business. It had been a year and a half since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and lots of people still weren’t quite comfortable with the idea of sitting in a crowded cinema for two and a half hours. When Warner Bros. announced that “Dune” would be coming to
what was then known as HBO Max at the same time as the theatrical release, staying home became a no-brainer for anyone with a subscription — or more likely, a password they could borrow from someone. This divided experience meant that streaming audiences were cannibalizing theatrical revenue in real-time, and it led to relatively muted box office numbers that totaled under half a billion globally when all was said and done. While often touted as an impressive box office success under the circumstances, the truth is that “Dune: Part One” could have done much better if it hadn’t been for
that pesky pandemic. For all of the fans who were forced to watch the first film at home, “Dune: Part Two” was a chance at theatrical redemption, and they seized the opportunity to see the movie at the cinema at the first possible opportunity. Watching at home just doesn’t live up to the dazzling images on a huge silver screen. Sound that I can feel. Somehow, heartbreak feels good in a place likе this. Any “Dune” adaptation has the luxury of coming with a built-in audience, considering that the original book has sold over 20 million copies since it was
written in the mid-1960s. It’s even been translated into over 20 languages, making it one of the most iconic sci-fi stories of the 20th century. The original book was the first of half a dozen primary “Dune” novels, which served as a core that spawned over two dozen total books set in the “Dune” universe. Some are definitely better than others. “Dune” has long been considered by some critics to be “unadaptable.” Villeneuve wasn’t the first to try and prove them wrong. David Lynch infamously gave it a shot in the 1980s with Kyle MacLachlan as Paul, but received mostly
poor reviews. “D’aaaahhhh!” Alejandro Jodorowsky also tried to bring his bizarre vision of the novel to life, but he failed so hard they made a documentary about it. William Hurt even starred in a forgotten “Dune” miniseries that was released around the turn of the century. Plenty of fans would agree that none of these projects properly channeled Frank Herbert’s novel, until recent take proved the naysayers wrong. If you’re a longtime “Dune” fan, that’s definitely something to smile about. “Smile, Gurney.” “I am smiling.” “Dune: Part One” is a gorgeous movie, so you might be surprised to learn that
only about 40% of it was filmed on IMAX cameras. “Dune: Part Two” went all in — 100% filmed for IMAX. Obviously, that’s a big incentive for cinephiles to get the best viewing experience by, well, seeing it in IMAX. You don’t eat filet mignon on a paper plate, and you don’t watch IMAX at 2.35:1 — the peasant’s aspect ratio, as it’s known. And the marketing totally hyped up the experience. “If you want to see the full power of Dune, you should see it in IMAX.” The point I’m getting to is that IMAX tickets cost more. Box
office numbers don’t tally tickets sold — they count cash in the bank. That massive influx of IMAX receipts means more cha-ching to spice up the weekend box office totals. IMAX or not, people were still going to see this movie — but the inflated IMAX prices were just a bonus for an already impressive haul. “Can you imagine the wealth?!” It’s human nature: The more you can’t have something, the more you want it. Like the Snickers I can’t have until I finish making this video. I want my Snickers… “Dune: Part Two” was initially supposed to be released
in October 2023 — two years after the first movie. Of course, that initial release window was set before 2023 became known as the year people in Hollywood wanted fair payment. So it got pushed back to November 2023, and then again to March 2024. After such an enticing first installment, the delay was maddening for fans who were desperate to see the story come to a conclusion. Especially after the way it ended. Can I mention that again? You know, Paul and the Fremen marching off across the desert, destiny just over the horizon, adventures lying in wait —
probably right behind that rock. And then… …welp! See you in a few years! Pretty frustrating, right? And the more it got delayed, the more fans were chomping at the bit to see what Paul and his friends were getting up to. Whether or not you want to admit it, “Dune: Part One” is pretty slow. It spends most of its time introducing characters and the planet of Arrakis, and it can be pretty dry — pun intended. At the very least, the hypnotic desert landscapes and ambient soundtrack of the film’s first half are probably great for falling asleep
to at night. “Sand, and more sand. So much sand you really wouldn’t believe it.” It’s only during the second half of the movie that the action gets going, when the Harkonnens launch a genocidal war against the House of Atreides. Until then, the action is mainly just a sparring match and a bunch of cool ramps getting lowered. When you sum it all up, there really isn’t that much going on — especially compared to the second half of the book. Accordingly, most of the story’s biggest action sequences were reserved for the second film. That’s right — “Dune:
Part Two” is even Duner. The sequel has more adventure, higher stakes, and, of course, sandworms. Lots of sandworms. It rolled into theaters like: “I got worms.” Basically, audiences knew they were in for an action-packed treat heading into opening weekend, and the box office numbers prove it. Finally, “Dune: Part Two” hit theaters in the perfect climate. That’s not a metaphor — the weather was literally a benefit. By the end of February, everyone was tired of being cooped up for winter and getting pissed at their families. Getting out for a movie was a no-brainer, and “Dune” was
waiting with wide open arms and wider open deserts. It didn’t hurt either that there was pretty much no competition. What’s the alternative, watching “Madame Web” a third time? No, for moviegoers looking for a diversion, “Dune: Part Two” was really the only choice. This made the timing of the “Dune” sequel’s release a key part of its initial momentum, which translates to big box office bucks. Now that’s what I call… “Desert power.”
