What will it take to topple Dune 2 from the 2024 box office top spot?
Denis Villeneuve is worried about the fact his March blockbuster, Dune Part Two, is still the most successful film of 2024.
Three months after it first arrived in cinemas, Dune 2 remains the highest-grossing movie of 2024 at the worldwide box office. Denis Villeneuve's epic sci-fi sequel earned $712m (£560m) on its cinema run, putting it ahead of the likes of Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire and Kung Fu Panda 4.
Fans of the movie are thrilled with its financial success, especially as it makes the prospect of a third movie — adapting Frank Herbert's sequel novel Dune Messiah — all the more likely. But there's one person who's not very happy about the fact Dune 2 is still at the top of the box office charts: Denis Villeneuve.
"I'm disappointed to still be number one," said Villeneuve at the 2024 Canadian Screen Awards over the weekend. "I hope soon that there will be other successes at the box office. I hope, sooner or later, that this summer box office will be much better."
Read more: Dune Part Two review: Timothée Chalamet shines in masterful sci-fi epic (Yahoo Entertainment)
Villeneuve said there has been a lack of bona fide "theatrical experiences" at the multiplex this summer, but pointed to Alex Garland's button-pushing action movie Civil War as a rare example of what he thinks the industry needs,
He added: "I think we need movies that are theatrical experiences, that will fully embrace the power of the theatre, and I'm not just talking about Dune 2. Of course I'm talking about many movies. A movie like Civil War, for instance, is a strong example of a movie that absolutely used the power of the theatre. I was lucky that Part 2 did reach the audience, I wish it would happen more often, honestly."
Read more: Kirsten Dunst says new film Civil War is a warning to not take democracy for granted (PA Media)
Civil War has so far earned $115m (£90m) at the global box office, leaving it outside the year's top 10 movies. It does, however, stand as a decent hit and one of A24's highest-grossing movies ever, coming second only to Oscar-winning juggernaut Everything Everywhere All at Once.
So far, nothing in 2024 has come even close to Dune 2. For example, if you were to take the current second place movie on the chart, Godzilla x Kong, and add all of Civil War's takings to it, it would still fall short to Dune.
Read more: Steven Spielberg says Dune 2 is one of the greatest sci-fi films ever made (Total Film)
This year has certainly seen a dearth of enormous blockbusters. Part of this is due to the absence of Marvel, which chose not to release anything in its usual February/March slot. By this time in 2023, Marvel had already unveiled Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania ($476m/£374m at the box office) and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 ($846m/£665m).
By the start of June in 2023, three movies had exceeded the current number achieved by Dune 2. This year, there's nothing. For the most part, the franchises have stayed away and those that have had a go have struggled to make an impact.
However, there are some exciting 2024 summer blockbusters on the horizon that could well turn the tide. For starters, Despicable Me 4. There isn't more of a sure thing in Hollywood than the minions and it would be a foolish gambler who'd bet against it being the first film of the year to break the billion-dollar barrier.
There's also another super-reliable family film coming this summer in the shape of Inside Out 2. Pixar blockbusters have become something less of a dead cert since the pandemic forced the studio to begin debuting the likes of Turning Red and Luca on Disney+. If any franchise can reverse that trend, though, it's one as beloved as Inside Out.
Read more: Inside Out 2 runtime confirmed as shorter than first movie (Digital Spy)
Then, of course, Marvel will re-enter the game with Deadpool & Wolverine. Theoretically, an R-rating could cause some problems, but the strength of those two characters has been bullish in the past. That age rating is also unlikely to prevent DC sequel Joker: Folie à Deux from matching its predecessor's billion-dollar haul.
Autumn and winter will bring several big-hitters alongside Joker. Ridley Scott is returning to the Colosseum for Gladiator 2, Tom Hardy is back in his symbiote mayhem era for Venom: The Last Dance, and Disney is unveiling a Moana sequel. Even if the summer remains a damp squib, there are plenty of movies in the wings to unseat Dune 2.
Read more: Early Gladiator 2 footage has reportedly blown studio executives away (Total Film)
But the concerns expressed by Villeneuve are understandable. We're halfway through the year and, in terms of the box office, Hollywood's considerable muscles remain unflexed. Of the current box office top 10 for the year, four are Chinese movies. As well as reflecting the strength of that country's box office, it shows that the United States has had a rather lean year.
The solution? Minions, emotions, and the Joker. Quite the trio.
