The Big Picture
Dune: Part Two
hits $500 million global box office milestone in under 20 days of release, surpassing original movie’s lifetime haul.
The film becomes first Hollywood release of 2024 to cross $500 million mark, staying ahead of competition with $300 million+ gap in earnings.
Director Denis Villeneuve cements his status as a top filmmaker with
Dune: Part Two
, potentially paving the way for a third installment.
After overtaking the lifetime global haul of the first Dune movie last weekend, director Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two has passed a massive milestone at the worldwide box office. And it has done so in less than 20 days of release. The epic science-fiction sequel debuted to ecstatic reviews earlier this month, and has been closely following the trajectory established by last year’s Oppenheimer, whose success it would hope to match in the long run.
As of Monday, Dune: Part Two has grossed $207 million in domestic theaters, and another $293 million from overseas markets, for a cumulative global gross of exactly $500 million. Dune: Part Two is the first Hollywood film of 2024 to pass this milestone, and it remains the highest-grossing film of the year, with a $300 million-plus gap separating it from the next biggest Hollywood release, Kung Fu Panda 4.
This past weekend — its third — the film grossed $28 million domestically and another $55.2 million from overseas markets. By comparison, Oppenheimer grossed $29 million domestically and $55.6 million from overseas markets in the same frame. Directed by Christopher Nolan, the biographical thriller has grossed around $320 million stateside and nearly $965 million globally. Dune: Part Two, which was endorsed by Nolan prior to its release, has now also hit its estimated break-even point, and every penny that it makes from here on out is going to be counted as profit. The film is projected to have a final global gross of between $650 million to $700 million, but has a more realistic shot at out-performing Oppenheimer domestically.
Villeneuve’s Two ‘Dune’ Films Will Soon Hit a Combined Global Gross of $1 Billion
Produced on a reported budget of $190 million, Dune: Part Two is the biggest film of Villeneuve’s career, but it also performed the double duty of establishing Timothée Chalamet as a bona-fide A-lister. Chalamet was coming off the global smash hit Wonka, which grossed over $630 million worldwide after debuting at Christmastime. This puts the young star’s total global gross at over $1.1 billion in the last four months. And in a matter of days, Dune: Part Two will overtake Wonka’s $218 million lifetime domestic haul.
The movie concludes Villeneuve’s two-part adaptation of Frank Herbert’s classic science-fiction novel, cementing his stature as one of the most admired big-screen filmmakers of his generation. Cruelly, his first Dune film was released day-and-date on the Max streaming service, but Villeneuve would hope to continue exploring the scope of large-format filmmaking with a potential third installment, which will continue tracing the “Muad’Dib” Paul Atreides’ spiral into megalomania. Alongside Chalamet, the movie features Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Dave Bautista, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgard, Christopher Walken and others. You can watch Dune: Part Two in theaters, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
Dune: Part Two
Paul Atreides unites with Chani and the Fremen while seeking revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family.
Release Date March 1, 2024
Director Denis Villeneuve