Dune: Part Two has maxed out IMAX screens so much that its opening weekend performance was limited

Popverse's top stories of the day

• Hannibal wouldn't be a fan of Chicago's local food scene, according to Mads Mikkelsen (but, then again, he's a cannibal)
• Watch: Artist's Alley Asks: Superman or Fantastic Four? Gene Ha, Cully Hamner, Jarrett Melendez, Rachael Stott, Soo Lee, and Tim Seeley weigh in on their cinematic preference
• Brandon Sanderson tried (very hard) to change one character arc on the Wheel of Time show

No, it wasn't just you who had trouble getting into IMAX screenings for Dune: Part Two during its opening weekend. The Denis Villeneuve-directed sequel is doing so well that the number of IMAX screens in some locations has become an issue blocking its financial performance.

The Warner Bros. Discovery and Legendary Pictures-produced movie opened with an estimated $81.5 million at the domestic box office, making around $182 million globally during its first weeknd, the highest of any production released so far in 2024. Right now, it's matching the pace of Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer last year.

Via CNBC, we've learned more details about the surprising boost in ticket sales (which has caused some IMAX screens to be sold out for three weeks) after the rave reviews dropped and the fantastic word of mouth (and spicy memes) started spreading. According to Rich Gelfond, CEO of IMAX, "The only reason it wasn’t higher is we ran out of seats... The lesson is that if you take a beautiful visual experience, a good story and you put it in the hands of a brilliant filmmaker with an IMAX camera, you’re going to get very good results." Indeed, the entirety of Dune: Part Two was shot using IMAX cameras, and even if you watch it in standard format, you'll be able to notice what Villeneuve was gunning for.

Josh Grode, CEO of Legendary, added: "I think this is a movie where you know the word of mouth is going to carry it... It is a stupendous piece of filmmaking. There’s no other way to say it. I’ve just about run out of adjectives." He's not wrong, especially when the rest of March doesn't have any direct competition (Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire shouldn't be a major roadblock) until Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire arrives, which is also a joint WB x Legendary production. In fact, the studios have already started cross-marketing both movies.

At this point, which is pretty much the best case scenario for everyone involved, it seems that Villeneuve's long-desired adaptation of Dune: Messiah, the second of Frank Herbert's books, is essentially confirmed. However, we're still waiting for official word from Warner Bros. and Legendary. And even if it gets the green light, it might not happen for a while, as Villeneuve is likely tackling other projects first.

Need more spice (heh) in your life? Popverse has all the Dune coverage you could want. From Dune: Part Two's ending explained, to details on the sequels and TV show prequels that are planned, to how to prep for the next film with a Dune watch order, to which Frank Herbert story Denis Villeneuve believes would make a great Dune: Part Three, and even which movies to watch after you've finished Dune.