Dune has exceeded expectations with a strong $40.1 million opening at the U.S. box office, despite debuting in theaters and on the HBO Max streaming service at the same time. This gives the movie the best domestic opening of any dual theatrical/streaming Warner Bros. release to date, besting Godzilla vs. Kong ($31.7 million).
Earlier estimates indicated a $30M-$35M opening for Denis Villeneuve's sci-fi adaptation, so Warner Bros./Legendary should be pleased with this result. It remains to be seen if Dune has staying power, of course, but the movie has been performing very well overseas up to this point (it premiered last month in several locations) and has now passed the $200 million mark globally.
Dune was a hit with the majority of critics, but a few last-minute negative reviews have dropped its Rotten Tomatoes score to 83%. This doesn't seem to have deterred moviegoers, however, and the film has a surprisingly high audience score of 91%.
Insiders believe a sequel announcement is imminent, especially after WarnerMedia CEO Ann Sarnoff recently suggested that a follow-up may already be greenlit.
What did you guys make of Dune? Did you watch it in theaters or at home? Drop us a comment down below, and check out our review if you're still on the fence about seeing the movie on the big screen. If you don't mind spoilers, you can also find out how the divisive ending sets up Part 2.