‘Dune 2’ Nears $700 Million at Global Box Office

Box office sands continue to flow for “Dune: Part Two,” which is nearing $700 million worldwide.

Director Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi epic has grossed $276 million in North America and $419 million overseas, bringing its global tally to $695.8 million after eight weeks of release. It’s an impressive benchmark in post-COVID times; only five movies in 2023, eight in 2022 and five in 2021 managed to cross the $700 million mark.

At this point, “Dune 2” is the highest-grossing movie of 2024 at the domestic and worldwide box office. Outside of the U.S. and Canada, the biggest markets are the U.K. ($48.8 million), China ($48.5 million), France ($42.6 million), Germany ($39.7 million) and Australia ($22.5 million).

“Dune: Part Two” has far outgrossed its predecessor, 2021’s “Dune,” which generated $433 million while landing simultaneously on HBO Max. The sequel’s impressive staying power is thanks to several factors, including glowing word-of-mouth, an A-list ensemble led by Timothee Chalamet and Zendaya, and interest in Imax and other premium formats. It also helps that unlike the original, the follow-up film is only available to watch on the big screen. Warner Bros. and Legendary Entertainment co-produced and co-financed “Dune: Part Two,” which cost $190 million to produce and roughly $100 million more to promote to global audiences.

Based on the second half of Frank Herbert’s seminal 1965 novel, the story continues the mythic quest of Chalamet’s Paul Atreides, a messianic figure who seeks safety in the desert after powerful royals betray his family. Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Christopher Walken, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin and Stellan Skarsgård round out the cast.