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Movie theaters were looking for a savior and \u201c\u00a0Dune: Part Two<\/a>\u00a0\u201d is delivering on the promise. Armed with sandworms,\u00a0big screen spectacle<\/a>\u00a0and the star power of\u00a0Timoth\u00e9e Chalamet<\/a>,\u00a0Denis Villeneuve<\/a>\u00a0\u2019s science fiction epic stormed the North American box office this weekend earning $81.5 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.<\/p>\n Internationally, it earned $97 million, bringing its global debut to $178.5 million.<\/p>\n \u201cDenis made a really extraordinary and special film and its been really exciting to see people respond,\u201d said Mary Parent, a producer on both \u201cDune\u201d films and chairman of worldwide production at Legendary. \u201cIt was made for the big screen and it feels like it\u2019s being received as a cinematic event.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s the first major hit of 2024, and one that was sorely needed by exhibitors. Although there have been holdovers from December that have continued to earn, like Warner Bros.\u2019 \u201c\u00a0Wonka<\/a>\u00a0\u201d (also starring Chalamet) and Sony\u2019s romantic comedy \u201cAnyone But You,\u201d the box office is in a bit of a drought. In the first two months of 2024, no films have crossed $100 million domestically. The highest earning movies have been \u201cThe Beekeeper,\u201d \u201cBob Marley: One Love\u201d and \u201cMean Girls.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDune 2\u2033 rode a wave of great reviews (94% on Rotten Tomatoes) into a marketplace that was essentially free of competition. Warner Bros. released it in 4,071 locations in the U.S. and Canada, where audiences across the board gave it the highest PostTrak marks and an A CinemaScore. According to exit data, men accounted for 59% of opening weekend ticket buyers and 64% were over the age of 25. The sequel was primarily financed by Legendary and its production budget, previously reported to be in the $122 million range, is closer to $190 million.<\/p>\n \u201cIt really captured the marketplace,\u201d said Jeff Goldstein, Warner Bros. president of domestic distribution. \u201cIt\u2019s a cultural moment globally.\u201d<\/p>\n Premium large format screens like IMAX and 70mm accounted for 48% of the opening weekend business. It marked a March record for IMAX, which made up $18.5 million of the overall take. Villeneuve filmed the movie using IMAX cameras. Unlike \u201c\u00a0Oppenheimer<\/a>,\u201d it was shot on digital, but with the extra time with the strike delay\u00a0they were able to make film prints as well<\/a>\u00a0and the film format is proving a popular draw for audiences.<\/p>\n \u201cOur most iconic film locations are virtually sold out for weeks,\u201d said IMAX CEO Rich Gelfond.<\/p>\n The $81.5 million debut is also a record for its director Villeneuve, and stars Chalamet, Austin Butler and Rebecca Ferguson<\/a>.<\/p>\n Originally planned for an October 2023 release, Warner Bros. bumped the movie to March amid the\u00a0Hollywood strikes<\/a>\u00a0that would have prevented its starry cast from doing the promotional circuit. The global promo tour has been on hyperdrive for about a month, driving conversations with buzzy interviews, the\u00a0viral sandworm-inspired popcorn bucket<\/a>\u00a0and eye-popping fashion moments from the stylish young cast \u2013 peaking with\u00a0Zendaya\u2019s silver cyborg showstopper<\/a>\u00a0(vintage Mugler) in London. They\u2019ve made stops in Mexico City, South Korea, Abu Dhabi and New York City.<\/p>\n \u201cWe worked very hard to be ready for that (original) date but we very much felt that, especially with this incredible cast, that it was worth waiting for,\u201d Parent said.<\/p>\n Goldstein added that there was \u201ca lot of debate\u201d over whether or not to release it during the strikes but they knew that they needed the cast to \u201cfully realize the movie.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t make movie stars any place other than theaters,\u201d Goldstein said. \u201cCinemas, on the big screen with the big sound and that shared experience makes a big star, or show the talent of a big star anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n The first \u201c\u00a0Dune<\/a>\u00a0\u201d opened under complicated conditions in October 2021. It was one of the last films of Warner Bros.\u2019 divisive plan to simultaneously debut its major movies in theaters and on its streaming platform. And yet it still earned over\u00a0$40 million in its first weekend<\/a>\u00a0and went on to gross over $400 million worldwide.<\/p>\n \u201cDenis Villeneuve is up there with Christopher Nolan as a filmmaker whose name alone inspires people to go to the movie theater,\u201d said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore.<\/p>\n This weekend, he added, \u201cmoves the needle in a big way.\u201d<\/p>\n Going into the weekend the box office was down about 20% from the same point last year (when \u201cAvatar: The Way of Water,\u201d a 2022 release, was lifting everything). The closest equivalent this year is \u201cWonka,\u201d still a hit, but not as big as \u201cAvatar 2.\u201d After the \u201cDune\u201d weekend, the deficit will be closer to 13%.<\/p>\n \u201cIt shows how important one movie can be to the overall health of the industry,\u201d Dergarabedian said. \u201cBut this is not a one-hit wonder for March. It\u2019s a momentum business. Now we\u2019re going to get the wind back in the sails as we head further into March, April and the summer movie season.\u201d<\/p>\n Warner Bros. is one of those studios that will be back in short order with another big film, in \u201cGodzilla x Kong\u201d at the end of March, followed by \u201cFuriosa\u201d in May, the \u201cBeetlejuice\u201d sequel in September and the \u201cJoker\u201d sequel in October.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is our year,\u201d Goldstein said. \u201cExhibitors are fighting for their lives but we can be clever and collaborative with them to keep our business relevant to audiences.\u201d<\/p>\n Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.<\/p>\n 1. \u201cDune: Part Two,\u201d $81.5 million.<\/p>\n 2. \u201cBob Marley: One Love,\u201d $7.4 million.<\/p>\n 3. \u201cOrdinary Angels,\u201d $3.9 million.<\/p>\n 4. \u201cMadame Web,\u201d $3.2 million.<\/p>\n 5. \u201cThe Chosen: Season 4, Episodes 7-8,\u201d $3.2 million.<\/p>\n 6. \u201cMigration, $2.5 million.<\/p>\n 7. \u201cDemon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba \u2013 To the Hashi,\u201d $2.1 million.<\/p>\n 8. \u201cWonka,\u201d $1.7 million.<\/p>\n 9. \u201cArgylle,\u201d $1.4 million.<\/p>\n 10. \u201cThe Beekeeper,\u201d $1.1 million.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\nSubscribe to the new Fortune CEO Weekly Europe newsletter to get corner office insights on the biggest business stories in Europe. Sign up<\/a> for free.<\/div>\n