Dune Fans Just Got Exciting News About A Theatrical Re-Release
Science fiction fans were thoroughly enthralled by the October release of Denis Villeneuve's "Dune," and it showed — both at the box office and in reviews. The long-awaited film has earned more than $365 million worldwide (via Box Office Mojo) and is resting comfortably on Rotten Tomatoes at an 82% critics score, meaning it is "Certified Fresh." While the movie's $41 million opening would probably have spelled problems in pre-pandemic times (according to Deadline, "Dune" cost $165 million to make), many consider the film's box office revenue a win for the theater industry. In fact, Comscore senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian called the numbers "a very encouraging sign for theater owners" back when the film was first released (via ABC10).
Indeed, Warner Bros. appeared to concur with Dergarabedian when the film studio officially greenlit "Dune: Part Two" in October, with the sequel slated for release in 2023 (via Variety). Now, a recent announcement from Warner Bros. could entice movie fans who didn't previously see "Dune" on the big screen to return to the theater.
Dune is coming back to Imax
According to Deadline, "Dune" is returning to Imax theaters for a limited time beginning December 3. Deadline further reports that the film is nearing the $100 million domestic box office number, making it only the second Warner Bros. film in 2021 to do so ("Godzilla vs Kong," which was released in March, was the first 2021 Warner Bros. film to pass that mark, via Box Office Mojo).
While "Dune" has been in U.S. theaters since October 22, the film recently disappeared from HBO Max, following a month's worth of availability on the streaming platform. In addition to facing the lingering effects of the pandemic, the theatrical release of "Dune" was also forced to compete with its own day-and-date streaming release on HBO Max, a decision that reportedly infuriated director Denis Villeneuve (via Variety). In the past few months, Villeneuve has taken every opportunity to stress that he believes "Dune" is primarily meant to be seen on the big screen, not at home. Despite the director's pleas, "Dune" quickly became one of HBO Max's most popular films of the year (via Variety), in addition to being one of the most pirated films of 2021 (via Business Insider).