#Dune Lands Best Opening For HBO Max Day And Date Release — What Does This Mean For Part 2?

The good news is “Dune” is doing better than any other Warner Bros. movie has this year at the box office, at least in the early going. If the HBO Max numbers are also good, it seems safe to assume that the studio will let Villeneuve loose to craft his second installment. Beyond that, who knows? But things look promising. Heading into the weekend, the movie had already earned $129.7 internationally. It is important to note that the movie’s budget is said to be somewhere in the $160 million range, not accounting for marketing. For what it’s worth, WarnerMedia CEO Ann Sarnoff already strongly hinted that “Dune: Part Two” will happen.

Helping matters is the A CinemaScore, as well as the 83 percent critical approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, to go with a stellar 92 percent audience rating (as of this writing). It’s early, but it appears Warner Bros. may have dug up another franchise.

“Dune” is in theaters and streaming on HBO Max now.

A mythic and emotionally charged hero’s journey, “Dune” tells the story of Paul Atreides, a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, who must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people. As malevolent forces explode into conflict over the planet’s exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence—a commodity capable of unlocking humanity’s greatest potential—only those who can conquer their fear will survive.