Denis Villeneuve's Dune only went on wide release in the U.S. today, but the movie is already off to a great start after holding preview screenings at 3,200 theaters last night.
Deadline reports that the epic sci-fi adaptation took in $5.1 million from Thursday showings, besting the preview takings of Warner Bros.' recent The Suicide Squad ($4.1M) and last week's Halloween Kills ($4.85M). Dune is tracking towards a $30M-$35M opening weekend domestically, though exhibitors have indicated that it could end up being significantly higher since presales "are squashing everything that’s come before it, i.e. No Time to Die, and Marvel's Shang-Chi."
The film is still expected to make upwards of $70M globally after a $6.5M opening day in China. Estimates could be off, of course, especially in the current climate, but this is definitely a positive sign that Villeneuve will be given the opportunity to return to Arrakis and finish this story (if you don't mind spoilers, you can find out how the ending sets up Part 2 here).
WarnerMedia CEO Ann Sarnoff recently suggested that a follow-up may already be greenlit. “Will we have a sequel to Dune? If you watch the movie you see how it ends. I think you pretty much know the answer to that.”
What did you guys make of Dune? Are you excited to see a sequel? Drop us a comment down below, and check out our review if you're still on the fence about seeing the movie on the big screen.
About The Author:
Mark Cassidy is a writer, photographer, amateur filmmaker, and Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic from Dublin, Ireland.