Denis Villeneuve’s Dune, arguably one of the most highly anticipated film releases of the 2021 run, has outperformed box office expectations, standing at $220 million globally following its release in the UK, US, and China last week.
Ahead of the October 22 US cinema release date, a $33 million total prediction was set for the release weekend. The rising sci-fi giant easily surpassed this milestone, raking in $40.1 million in the States alone. This was despite a simultaneous release on HBO Max, which was expected to seriously curtail the public’s appetite for a cinematic experience.
In the UK, Dune has overtaken the new James Bond release No Time to Die for the top box office position, bringing in a reported £5.8 million.
Dune’s cast is filled with many familiar faces, including Timothée Chalamet, Jason Momoa, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Stellan Skarsgård, and Dave Bautista. The adaptation of the first half of Frank Herbert’s 1965 science-fiction novel had a reported production budget of a colossal $165 million.
Dune entails a story set in a distant future, of a young and gifted son of a noble duke, Paul Atreides (Chalamet). When he is unexpectedly burdened with a fate beyond imaginable, he becomes responsible for the future of not only himself and his family, but the protection of the surrounding universe.
In a recent interview with Time magazine, Timothée Chalamet describes Dune’s themes as “A warning against the exploitation of the environment, a warning against colonialism, a warning against technology.’ Despite its heavy subject matter and notoriously dense source material, it has evidently proven itself popular over a busy release weekend.
Less than a week after release, the sci-fi success has been officially confirmed to be receiving a sequel. Dune’s climatic release weekend seems to only be bringing more surprises. Legendary Entertainment announced the news through a tweet on Tuesday evening, showing an image of a new title card along with a quote from Part One: ‘This is only the beginning…’
The second instalment has been scheduled for release on October 20, 2023. In the meantime, Dune (Part One, as it shall henceforth be known) can still be found exclusively in cinemas across the UK.
Words by Mia Stapleton
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