Here's How Much Money Experts Think 'Dune: Part Two' Could Make in Its Opening Weekend

The release of Dune: Part Two is just three weeks away, and early box office tracking predicts Denis Villeneuve’s sequel could open to twice as much as its predecessor.

According to Deadline, ticket pre-sales are pacing well ahead of Dune: Part One, which opened to a respectable but muted $41 million when it hit theaters in October 2021. Conservative estimates see Part Two grossing $65 million in its first three days of release. More bullish estimates see the film making as much as $75–80 million in its first weekend. That would be around 83 percent more than its predecessor made during the same frame.

There were a few extenuating circumstances keeping Part One from flourishing at the box office. Warner Bros. gave the film a controversial day-and-date release through HBO Max (now Max), which gobbled up some of its earnings. Although the film claimed a successful run on IMAX and premium format screens, many audience members were still nervous about returning to cinemas at the end of 2021 due to COVID-19 concerns.

There are a few other factors that could see Part Two move even further ahead at the box office. It’s already benefitting from its younger, Gen-Z-friendlier cast members, who’ve already been hitting the press circuit for a few weeks now, including a group appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Florence Pugh and Austin Butler join Timothée Chalamet in Part Two, while Zendaya expands upon a role that was essentially a cameo in Part One. The first film co-starred comparatively less popular actors with younger audiences, like Jason Momoa, Oscar Isaac, and Rebecca Ferguson.

Chalamet is also a bigger draw at this point in his career. Part One proved he could carry a big-budget movie, but the jury was out on whether his name alone could open one. That changed with Wonka in December. The fantasy-comedy, still in theaters, has performed much better than expected across the board. To date, it’s brought in $201 million in North America and $573 million worldwide. Those are fantastic numbers for a family-aimed musical tied to lesser-known IP.

Part Two’s media blitz, including near-constant coverage during NFL games and a very controversial popcorn bucket, no doubt has and will continue to contribute to it’s better-than-anticipated tracking.

Part One went on to gross $108.3 million in North America and $402 million worldwide. It’s Warner Bros. highest-grossing day-and-date release after Godzilla vs. Kong ($470 million worldwide).