DUNE Could Snag $1 Billion at Box Office
Mike Sprague
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Blade Runner 2049 director Denis Villeneuve’s Dune with Timothée Chalamet has been delayed all the way to October 2021 due to COVID-19. But today, it looks like the film may still manage to snag upwards of $1 billion at the box-office.
Comscore Senior Media Analyst Paul Dergarabedian, compares Lord of the Rings, telling Observer: “This is a huge brand with a major filmmaker backed by a very filmmaker-centric studio. Moving release dates doesn’t show a lack of confidence in theaters. It’s the opposite. It shows that Warner Bros. has confidence both in the long game and in the property as it would rather wait for theaters to return. Interest is off the charts. This is a movie with a global potential of $1 billion. I can see this becoming that kind of film with worldwide appeal in the vein of James Bond.”
However, Jeff Bock, Senior Box Office analyst at Exhibitor Relations, points to the last collaboration between Villeneuve and WB, Blade Runner 2049, saying: “No doubt Dune‘s budget is even higher, and obviously a lot more invested with a series and a sequel attached to it. It’s no secret that WB wants its own Star Wars franchise. So, for starters, to be successful on that scale you need to have cross-promotions and partners that will invest in your product. Unfortunately, Dune is not Star Wars in that sense. Target and WalMart aren’t going to be selling action figures and sandworms aren’t going to make their way into McDonalds’ Happy Meals anytime soon. Unfortunately for WB, hardcore sci-fi, even when adored by critics as 2049 was, is largely ignored by the multiplex masses. In terms of real numbers, [Dune] probably needs to get closer to $500 million worldwide to be a success for everyone involved. And with the amount already invested in spin-off potential, the sequel will have to exceed that number, and not pull a Fantastic Beasts. That’s a huge ask for a dark sci-fi flick. This is a massive gamble for WB, but I suppose you have to go big, or go fortify your streaming content.”
Do you think Dune will be a hit? Let us know below!
Villeneuve directs from a screenplay he co-wrote with Eric Roth and Jon Spaihts, based on the novel by Frank Herbert. Chalamet, Ferguson, and Brolin’s co-stars include Oscar Isaac, Stellan Skarsgård, Javier Bardem, Charlotte Rampling, Dave Bautista, David Dastmalchian, Jason Momoa, Stephen Henderson, and Zendaya.
In the far future of humanity, Duke Leto Atreides accepts stewardship of the dangerous desert planet Arrakis, also known as Dune, the only source of the most valuable substance in the universe, “the spice”, a drug which extends human life, provides superhuman levels of thought, and makes foldspace travel possible. Though Leto knows the opportunity is an intricate trap set by his enemies, he takes his Bene Gesserit concubine Lady Jessica, young son and heir Paul, and most trusted advisers to Arrakis. Leto takes control of the spice mining operation, which is made perilous by the presence of giant sandworms. A bitter betrayal leads Paul and Jessica to the Fremen, natives of Arrakis who live in the deep desert.
It hits on October 1, 2021. Excited? Make sure to hit us up and let us know what you think in the comments below or on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram!
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