‘Dune: Part Two’ tops at the box office with $81.5 million debut

Movie theaters were looking for a savoir, and “Dune: Part Two” is delivering on the promise. Armed with sandworms, big screen spectacle and the star power of Timothée Chalamet, Denis Villeneuve’s science fiction epic stormed the North American box office this weekend earning $81.5 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Internationally, it earned $97 million, bringing its global debut to 178.5 million.

It’s the first major hit of 2024, and one that was sorely needed by exhibitors. Although there have been holdovers from December that have continued to earn, like Warner Bros.’ “Wonka” (also starring Chalamet) and Sony’s romantic comedy “Anyone But You,” the box office is in a bit of a drought. In the first two months of 2024, no films have crossed $100 million domestically. The highest earning movies have been “The Beekeeper,” “Bob Marley: One Love” and “Mean Girls.”

“Dune 2” rode a wave of great reviews (94% on Rotten Tomatoes) into a marketplace that was essentially free of competition. Warner Bros. released it in 4,071 locations in the U.S. and Canada, where audiences across the board gave it the highest PostTrak marks and an A CinemaScore.

Premium large format screens like IMAX and 70mm accounted for 48% of the opening weekend business. It marked a March record for IMAX, which made up $18.5 million of the overall take.

Originally planned for an October 2023 release, Warner Bros. bumped the movie to March amid the Hollywood strikes that would have prevented its starry cast from doing the promotional circuit. The global promo

tour has been on hyperdrive for about a month, driving conversations with buzzy interviews, the viral sandworm-inspired popcorn bucket and eye-popping fashion moments from the stylish young cast — peaking with Zendaya’s silver cyborg showstopper (vintage Mugler) in London. They’ve made stops in Mexico City, South Korea, Abu Dhabi and New York City.

Warner Bros. is one of those studios that will be back in short order with another big film, in “Godzilla x Kong” at the end of March, followed by “Furiosa” in May, the “Beetlejuice” sequel in September and the “Joker” sequel in October.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.

1. “Dune: Part Two,” $81.5 million.

2. “Bob Marley: One Love,” $7.4 million.

3. “Ordinary Angels,” $3.9 million.

4. “Madame Web,” $3.2 million.

5. “The Chosen: Season 4, Episodes 7-8,” $3.2 million.

6. “Migration, $2.5 million.

7. “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba — To the Hashi,” $2.1 million.

8. “Wonka,” $1.7 million.

9. “Argylle,” $1.4 million.

10. “The Beekeeper,” $1.1 million.

Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures/TNS Zendaya in a scene from “Dune: Part Two.”