"Dune: Part Two" is set to premiere today, projected to be one of the biggest movie debuts of 2024, pulling in as much as $80M domestically and $170M globally in its opening weekend.
The movie is the second part in an adaptation of "Dune," the 1965 novel by Frank Herbert that has sold over 20 million copies. The book is inspired by Herbert’s journalistic work covering an effort by the US Department of Agriculture to cultivate beach grass in the Oregon desert. Running at close to 900 pages in its paperback edition and set 20,000 years in the future, it is viewed as one of the most impactful sci-fi novels in contemporary writing, influencing the plot and scenery of legendary franchises, including "Star Wars" and "Game of Thrones."
A two-hour 1984 adaptation by David Lynch became a box office flop, edited from a much longer rough cut. "Dune: Part One" was released simultaneously in 2021 across theaters and streaming services to a $41M domestic debut. Analysts say "Dune: Part Two" could double that amount.
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