Dune: Budget, Box Office, Audience Reception & Cast Interview
It's no secret that making the movie wasn't cheap
Dune has been making waves in the movie world lately. Whether it’s the star-studded cast, international premieres, surprising performances like Anya Taylor-Joy’s, or even candid statements from actors like Zendaya admitting to repeating a school year, the film has captured people’s attention. Gaby Cam from ‘De Película’ and LOS40, interviewed some of the cast members and even scored an invite to join Dune 3.
But Let’s Talk About Money
It’s no secret that making Dune wasn’t cheap. With a cast featuring big names like Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Florence Pugh, Austin Butler, and Javier Bardem, among others, the production costs added up. Director Denis Villeneuve spared no expense, with a surprising $190 million budget for the second part and $165 million for the first movie.
According to Menshealth, the second part of Dune raked in $178 million in its opening weekend alone. IMAX CEO Rich Gelfond mentioned that IMAX screenings were selling out for weeks. Meanwhile, Variety reported that the sequel exceeded expectations, earning $82.5 million more than projected in North America and a total of $182.5 million worldwide during its debut weekend. It even outperformed the first part’s 2021 earnings, which totaled $41 million in theaters and HBO Max combined.
Why wait? #DuneMovie is the must-see cinematic event of the year. Now playing only in theaters. Get tickets: https://t.co/mPzXX2Xq7b pic.twitter.com/YtlMQmKRmu
— DUNE (@dunemovie) March 5, 2024
Movie Audience Demographics: Who Watched the Most?
The Hollywood Reporter revealed that the age group most drawn to the movie was between 26 and 35 years old, making up 28% of the total viewership. Following closely behind were individuals aged 36 to 45, constituting 24% of the audience. Those in the 18 to 25 age range comprised 18% of viewers, while individuals aged 45 to 60 made up 15%.
Interestingly, despite the film’s literary origins from the works of American author Frank Herbert, and its cinematic history with the 1984 adaptation directed by David Lynch, it didn’t resonate as expected with its target audience.
dune: part two (2024) dir. denis villeneuve pic.twitter.com/KHBa25exkQ
— cinesthetic. (@TheCinesthetic) March 2, 2024