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It’s Not the Movies, It’s Imax

The opening weekend success of ‘Dune: Part Two’ suggests that the future of theatrical relies, in part, on studios marketing films as requiring a premium large format experience.

Timothee Chalamet Austin Butler Dune: Part Two
The blow-out opening for Dune: Part Two implies that Hollywood has succeeded in getting folks off the couch with the promise of an irreplaceable experience for films that are otherwise commercially promising. Photo: Niko Tavernise/Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
Scott Mendelson
March 4, 2024

Dune: Part Two, which opened to $82 million domestic and $179 million global, proved to be a true breakout sequel—showing once again that Warner Bros. can be good at turning less-conventional studio programmers (Magic Mike) and event films (It) into genuine commercial hits. Not unlike the upswing openings for John Wick: Chapter 2, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, and Saw II, this debut cashed in on goodwill from folks who saw the original Dune in theaters and fans who discovered it later on VOD and physical media along with Max, Netflix, and Hulu, where it lived before opening weekend.