#Dune Passes $100 Million At Domestic Box Office In Great Boost For The Spice Economy

While there are plenty of films that can be enjoyed perfectly fine in the comfort of home on a smaller screen, “Dune” absolutely benefits from being seen on the largest screen possible. That is, as long as the audience feels comfortable enough to do so, because sitting in a theater while riddled with COVID anxiety is no way to watch a movie, regardless of how big the screen is. When Warner Bros. first announced the day-and-date plan with HBO Max, director Denis Villeneuve was furious. He took to writing a column in Variety stating:

With this decision AT&T has hijacked one of the most respectable and important studios in film history. There is absolutely no love for cinema, nor for the audience here. It is all about the survival of a telecom mammoth, one that is currently bearing an astronomical debt of more than $150 billion.

A year after Villeneuve’s column, “Dune” is surpassing the expectations of many, and Warner Bros. has already greenlit a sequel, which will be released exclusively in theaters October 20, 2023. Despite all of the obstacles set up against it, “Dune” is Villeneuve’s best domestic opening of his career, surpassing “Blade Runner 2049” which brought in only $32.7 million. “Dune” is also projected to become his highest grossing film both worldwide and domestically, as it is expected to surpass his Oscar-winning film “Arrival” by the end of this weekend.

“Dune” is playing in theaters now.