Director Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two has seen huge success both critically and financially.
Director Denis Villeneuve’s science fiction epic sequel, Dune: Part II (or Dune 2), is edging its way towards another box office milestone, with the follow-up nearing $500 million globally against its $190 million budget. A box office figure that has rarely been reached post-pandemic. Dune 2 has now garnered $494 million worldwide, and thus becoming the highest-grossing movie of 2024, with the sequel now surpassing the entire domestic run of its predecessor (via Variety).
The first Dune grossed $110 million in the United States and Canada. However, it must be noted that the first outing was given a day-and-date release in theaters and on the streaming platform Max due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Globally, Dune: Part One earned around $435 million, meaning that the sequel has now beaten it by some margin.
Broken down, Dune 2 has seen strong turnout in China, grossing $36 million, followed by the United Kingdom at $32.8 million, Germany at $25 million, France with $24.9 million, and Australia with $15.6 million. The science fiction sequel has seen huge success from IMAX screenings, surpassing $100 million over the weekend and thus becoming the seventh-fastest movie to pass that benchmark.
Such box office success will have Warner Bros. eager for Dune 3, aka Dune Messiah, with Villeneuve saying last year that he hopes to return to Arrakis one last time.
“[Dune Messiah] is being written right now, the screenplay is almost finished but it is not ‘finished’ it will take a little time. I don’t know exactly when I will go back to Arrakis – but my dream would be go a last time on this planet that I love.”
Dune 2 Has Been Met With Much Critical Acclaim
Following on from 2021’s Dune, Dune: Part Two will explore the mythic journey of Paul Atreides as he unites with Chani and the Fremen while on a warpath of revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the known universe, he endeavors to prevent a terrible future only he can foresee.
Directed by Denis Villeneuve and written by Villeneuve and Jon Spaihts, Dune: Part Two stars Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Dave Bautista, Stellan Skarsgård, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Charlotte Rampling, and Javier Bardem, each of whom reprise their roles from the first movie.
Dune 2 adds several A-list names to the cast, including Florence Pugh (Black Widow, Oppenheimer), Christopher Walken (The Deer Hunter, Seven Psychopaths), Léa Seydoux (No Time to Die), and Austin Butler (Elvis, Once Upon A Time…In Hollywood).
As well as box office success, Dune 2 has also been met with critical acclaim. MovieWeb’s own Julian Roman heaped praise on the sequel, calling it “a Spectacular Sci-Fi Epic.”
“You’re enthralled by winding journeys, it feels as though the characters are pieces on a chess board moving of their own volition. Where they end up is quite surprising, there are no easy answers here. Dune: Part Two is an extraordinary film that requires patience and an aptitude for abstract thought. But let it be known that the final shot is absolutely brilliant.”
