Movie theaters were looking for a savior and 鈥淒une: Part Two鈥� is delivering on the promise. Armed with sandworms, big screen spectacle and the star power of Timoth茅e Chalamet, Denis Villeneuve鈥檚 science fiction epic stormed the North American box office this weekend earning $81.5 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.
Internationally, it earned $97 million, bringing its global debut to $178.5 million.
鈥淒enis made a really extraordinary and special film and its been really exciting to see people respond,鈥� said Mary Parent, a producer on both 鈥淒une鈥� films and chairman of worldwide production at Legendary. 鈥淚t was made for the big screen and it feels like it鈥檚 being received as a cinematic event.鈥�
It鈥檚 the first major hit of 2024, and one that was sorely needed by exhibitors. Although there have been holdovers from December that have continued to earn, like Warner Bros.鈥� 鈥� Wonka 鈥� (also starring Chalamet) and Sony鈥檚 romantic comedy 鈥淎nyone But You,鈥� the box office is in a bit of a drought. In the first two months of 2024, no films have crossed $100 million domestically. The highest earning movies have been 鈥淭he Beekeeper,鈥� 鈥淏ob Marley: One Love鈥� and 鈥淢ean Girls.鈥�
鈥淒une 2鈥� rode a wave of great reviews (94% on Rotten Tomatoes) into a marketplace that was essentially free of competition. Warner Bros. released it in 4,071 locations in the U.S. and Canada, where audiences across the board gave it the highest PostTrak marks and an A CinemaScore. According to exit data, men accounted for 59% of opening weekend ticket buyers and 64% were over the age of 25. The sequel was primarily financed by Legendary and its production budget, previously reported to be in the $122 million range, is closer to $190 million.
鈥淚t really captured the marketplace,鈥� said Jeff Goldstein, Warner Bros. president of domestic distribution. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a cultural moment globally.鈥�
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Premium large format screens like IMAX and 70mm accounted for 48% of the opening weekend business. It marked a March record for IMAX, which made up $18.5 million of the overall take. Villeneuve filmed the movie using IMAX cameras. Unlike 鈥� Oppenheimer,鈥� it was shot on digital, but with the extra time with the strike delay they were able to make film prints as well and the film format is proving a popular draw for audiences.
鈥淥ur most iconic film locations are virtually sold out for weeks,鈥� said IMAX CEO Rich Gelfond.
The $81.5 million debut is also a record for its director Villeneuve, and stars Chalamet, Austin Butler and Rebecca Ferguson.
Originally planned for an October 2023 release, Warner Bros. bumped the movie to March amid the Hollywood strikes that would have prevented its starry cast from doing the promotional circuit. The global promo tour has been on hyperdrive for about a month, driving conversations with buzzy interviews, the viral sandworm-inspired popcorn bucket and eye-popping fashion moments from the stylish young cast 鈥� peaking with Zendaya鈥檚 silver cyborg showstopper (vintage Mugler) in London. They鈥檝e made stops in Mexico City, South Korea, Abu Dhabi and New York City.
鈥淲e worked very hard to be ready for that (original) date but we very much felt that, especially with this incredible cast, that it was worth waiting for,鈥� Parent said.
Goldstein added that there was 鈥渁 lot of debate鈥� over whether or not to release it during the strikes but they knew that they needed the cast to 鈥渇ully realize the movie.鈥�
鈥淵ou don鈥檛 make movie stars any place other than theaters,鈥� Goldstein said. 鈥淐inemas, on the big screen with the big sound and that shared experience makes a big star, or show the talent of a big star anyway.鈥�
The first 鈥� Dune 鈥� opened under complicated conditions in October 2021. It was one of the last films of Warner Bros.鈥� divisive plan to simultaneously debut its major movies in theaters and on its streaming platform. And yet it still earned over $40 million in its first weekend and went on to gross over $400 million worldwide.
鈥淒enis Villeneuve is up there with Christopher Nolan as a filmmaker whose name alone inspires people to go to the movie theater,鈥� said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore.
This weekend, he added, 鈥渕oves the needle in a big way.鈥�
Going into the weekend the box office was down about 20% from the same point last year (when 鈥淎vatar: The Way of Water,鈥� a 2022 release, was lifting everything). The closest equivalent this year is 鈥淲onka,鈥� still a hit, but not as big as 鈥淎vatar 2.鈥� After the 鈥淒une鈥� weekend, the deficit will be closer to 13%.
鈥淚t shows how important one movie can be to the overall health of the industry,鈥� Dergarabedian said. 鈥淏ut this is not a one-hit wonder for March. It鈥檚 a momentum business. Now we鈥檙e going to get the wind back in the sails as we head further into March, April and the summer movie season.鈥�
Warner Bros. is one of those studios that will be back in short order with another big film, in 鈥淕odzilla x Kong鈥� at the end of March, followed by 鈥淔uriosa鈥� in May, the 鈥淏eetlejuice鈥� sequel in September and the 鈥淛oker鈥� sequel in October.
鈥淭his is our year,鈥� Goldstein said. 鈥淓xhibitors are fighting for their lives but we can be clever and collaborative with them to keep our business relevant to audiences.鈥�
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. 鈥淒une: Part Two,鈥� $81.5 million.
2. 鈥淏ob Marley: One Love,鈥� $7.4 million.
3. 鈥淥rdinary Angels,鈥� $3.9 million.
4. 鈥淢adame Web,鈥� $3.2 million.
5. 鈥淭he Chosen: Season 4, Episodes 7-8,鈥� $3.2 million.
6. 鈥淢igration, $2.5 million.
7. 鈥淒emon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba 鈥� To the Hashi,鈥� $2.1 million.
8. 鈥淲onka,鈥� $1.7 million.
9. 鈥淎rgylle,鈥� $1.4 million.
10. 鈥淭he Beekeeper,鈥� $1.1 million.
Lindsey Bahr, The Associated Press
