Hollywood is hoping this weekend’s theatrical release of the Warner Bros. film Dune: Part Two will provide a much-needed jolt to the industry.
The movie, delayed from its original fall release because of the actors’ and writers’ strikes, is expected to be the first domestic box office hit of 2024.
Aside from
Warner Bros. Discovery’s
Wonka, which continues to play in theaters after its December release, movie makers and theaters haven’t had much to crow about so far this year. Domestic ticket sales are down 18% from the same time last year, reaching $866.4 million through Feb. 25.
Paramount’s
Bob Marley: One Love, released on Feb. 14, has grossed $73.6 million in sales so far, according to Box Office Mojo. Paramount’s Mean Girls, released in January, has sold $72 million.
During the same period in 2023, which was before the strikes, sales reached $1.06 billion, Comscore said. This year’s total includes $81.3 million for Wonka.
Comscore’s senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian told Barron’s “all that is about to change this weekend,” pointing to strong reviews and fan anticipation for Dune’s premiere. Expectations are that “Dune: Part Two will jump start the year.”
Warner Bros. is projecting a $65 million opening weekend for Dune: Part Two, though other estimates by analysts are higher. The highest-grossing weekend so far this year and the only one with more than $100 million in ticket sales was Jan. 12, when Mean Girls opened.
The end of 2023, encompassing the holiday period that usually features big releases and strong box office numbers, was quieter because films like Dune were delayed.
AMC Entertainment
said the concert films by Taylor Swift and Beyoncé drove nearly all its revenue gains in the quarter.
Other films slated to open this month include
Lionsgate’s
Imaginary (March 8); Universal Pictures’ Kung Fu Panda 4 (March 8); Lionsgate’s Arthur The King (March 15); Warner Bros.’ Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (March 29); and Warner Bros.’Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (March 29).
Write to Janet H. Cho at [email protected]
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