As we were going into the weekend, early Thursday numbers were hinting at Dune managing a $30M+ opening in the domestic office. All eyes were on Denis Villeneuve‘s next epic to see if the space opera could make a big splash at the box office. Especially if you consider that it’s also available on HBO Max. Well, the weekend is coming to a close and it garnered around $40M. As such, the film is Warner Bros.’s best box office performer with an HBO release. Not just that, Dune marks Villeneuve‘s best opening ever in the domestic market.
These numbers are a great showcase for its potential staying power at the box office, especially as it’s the biggest debut for Warner Bros. all year. So, it’s definitely a safe bet to think that they would be interested in exploring a sequel entry in the franchise, as it’s also what this film openly sets up at the end. Recently, WarnerMedia Studios CEO Ann Sarnoff pretty much confirmed that they’re banking on a sequel. So, these numbers might be that extra push to fast-track the project.
Villeneuve has shared that it’s a passion project. So, it’s always great to see it pay off for him to further explore Arrakis and more of Frank Herbert‘s iconic novels. The film also might’ve given IMAX cinemas an extra push, as it’s the biggest opening for the cinema format since the pandemic started with $9M. It’ll be interesting to see if it holds steady over Halloween and then against Eternals in November.
