Timothee Chalamet stars as Paul Atreides in Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune: Half Two.”
Warner Bros. | Legendary Leisure
LOS ANGELES — Movie show operators are hoping that Warner Bros. and Legendary Leisure’s “Dune: Half Two,” due out in theaters Friday, would be the much-needed oasis amid a drought of blockbuster content material.
For the reason that begin of the yr, the home field workplace has tallied simply $866.4 million in ticket gross sales by means of Sunday, an almost 18% drop from the identical interval in 2023, in keeping with information from Comscore. A lift firstly of the yr may show crucial to a field workplace that is nonetheless struggling to reclaim $10 billion in home annual ticket gross sales, a mark final seen earlier than the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The arrival of ‘Dune: Half Two’ is coming at some extent the place the trade is in search of that momentum igniting blockbuster,” mentioned Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore.
Thus far in 2024, no movie has generated greater than $100 million in receipts. Whereas shock hits comparable to Sony’s “Anybody However You” alongside Paramount’s “Imply Ladies” and “Bob Marley: One Love” have helped fill cinemas, the field workplace had few blockbuster holdovers from the vacations and restricted new choices within the new yr.
Final yr, the primary quarter was buoyed by $263 million in ticket gross sales from Disney’s “Avatar: The Manner of Water,” which hit theaters in December of the earlier yr. Equally, 2022 had greater than $200 million in residual gross sales from Sony and Marvel’s 2021 hit “Spider-Man: No Manner Dwelling.”
“We’re used to those peaks and valleys,” mentioned Invoice Barstow, who runs ACX Cinemas, a theater chain with six areas in 5 states. “And positively, there is no thriller to the final three years of the pandemic after which strikes and all of the stuff that sort of kicks us. However, then alongside comes one thing like ‘Dune.'”
Prime 10 films titles up to now in 2024
- “Wonka” (Warner Bros.) — $81.3 million
- “Imply Ladies” (Paramount) — $72.1 million
- “Bob Marley: One Love” (Paramount) — $71.1 million
- “Migration” (Common) — $66.2 million
- “The Beekeeper” (Amazon MGM) — $63.1 million
- “Anybody However You” (Sony) — $62.1 million
- “Aquaman and the Misplaced Kingdom” (Warner Bros.) — $47.6 million
- “Argylle” (Common) — $41.6 million
- “Madame Internet” (Sony) — $35.3 million
- “Night time Swim” (Common) — $31.8 million
Supply: Comscore
“It has been an extended slog of a winter on the field workplace, unsurprisingly so after quite a few strike-induced delays crushed an already underwhelming studio slate in latest months,” mentioned Shawn Robbins, chief analyst at BoxOffice.com. “‘Dune: Half Two’ represents the flip of the tide.”
Whereas Warner Bros. is projecting a conservative $65 million debut for the a lot anticipated sci-fi sequel, field workplace analysts foresee a haul between $70 million and $80 million. Particularly, as moviegoers are prone to gravitate towards premium massive format screenings, that are pricier than common tickets.
“We have had offered out ‘See It First’ showings in all of our IMAX areas and visitor response is already extraordinarily constructive,” mentioned Jeff Whipple, vp of promoting, advertising and marketing and public relations at Larry H. Miller Megaplex Theatres, which operates 15 areas, predominately in Utah.
“Utah film followers know that ‘Dune: Half Two’ is an enormous film that must be skilled on the most important display screen doable,” he famous, including that Megaplex areas are seeing sturdy superior ticket gross sales for premium auditoriums like IMAX, Dolby Atmos and D-Field movement screens.
The draw of those larger priced tickets is main some exhibitors to suppose the movie may outperform projections.
“I feel Warner Bros. has been conservative,” mentioned Tim Handren, CEO at Santikos Leisure, a regional cinema chain with 27 theaters in eight states. “Warner Bros. has completed an absolute unbelievable job advertising and marketing this film.”
“They’re geniuses in advertising and marketing,” ACX Cinemas’ Barstow echoed. “They simply know how one can construct consciousness.”
The movie’s forged has been closely selling the movie for weeks, taking part in junkets, video interviews and showing on late evening reveals. Even the celebrities’ premiere outfits have been making headlines, driving extra consciousness of the movie’s launch.
Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya attend the World Premiere of “Dune: Half Two” in Leicester Sq. in London, England, on Feb. 15, 2024.
Gareth Cattermole | Getty Photographs Leisure | Getty Photographs
Alongside trade veterans like Christopher Walken, Stellan Skarsgard, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin and Dave Bautista, “Dune: Half Two” options 4 of the most important younger stars in Hollywood — Zendaya, Timothee Chalamet, Florence Pugh and Austin Butler.
Early ticket gross sales for the weekend are forward of Common’s “Oppenheimer,” which opened at $82.4 million, however under “Jurassic World Dominion,” which debuted at round $145 million, in keeping with information from Fandango.
Cinema operators, whereas centered on the movie’s opening weekend haul, are, maybe, extra within the longevity of “Dune: Half Two” on the field workplace.
Whereas there are a selection of recent releases in March, which can assist pad the general home field workplace haul, “April just isn’t practically as sturdy,” Handren identified.
Extremely anticipated movie openings of 2024
March
- “Dune: Half Two” (March 1)
- “Imaginary” (March 8)
- “Kung Fu Panda 4” (March 8)
- “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” (March 29)
April
- “The First Omen” (April 5)
- “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (April 12)
Might
- “The Fall Man” (Might 3)
- “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” (Might 10)
- “Imaginary Associates” (Might 17)
- “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” (Might 24)
- “The Garfield Film” (Might 24)
Titles like “Dune: Half Two” — which have an actual shot at remaining in theaters with restricted drops in ticket gross sales week after week — may help hold the field workplace afloat till the summer season film season begins in early Might.
The movie additionally affords exhibitors an opportunity to tease upcoming films to audiences with these all-too-familiar previews earlier than the movie begins.
“I feel ‘Dune’ opens up your entire world for us for summer season,” Barstow mentioned.
Disclosure: Comcast is the dad or mum firm of NBCUniversal and CNBC.
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