K Frame - I just hit the "stop loading" button on my FF browser and the Forbes page loaded. Here's part of the article.
Topline
The highly anticipated sequel to Frank Herbert’s epic sci-fi novel, “Dune: Part Two” grossed at least $11 million in previews on Thursday, more than doubling its predecessor and putting it on pace with last summer’s double-barrelled blockbusters “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer.”
Key Facts
The sequel to 2021’s extraterrestrial sci-fi hit “Dune”—which will open in thousands of theaters Friday—has so far made $11 million in previews according to Deadline, while Variety estimates it made roughly $12 million, putting it well above the 2021 iteration’s $5.1 million, and just above Universal’s “Oppenheimer” ($10.5 million in previews) and October’s sleeper hit “Five Nights at Freddy’s” ($10.3 million).
The film trails still “Barbie,” which earned $22.3 million in previews last year.
“Dune: Part Two,” starring Zendaya, Timothée Chalamet, Florence Pugh and Austin Butler, also grossed roughly $2 million in Imax screenings this week, Deadline reported.
The sequel, which cost a reported $190 million to make, still has a long way to go to catch up with the so-called Barbenheimer duo—Warner Bros.’ “Barbie” pulled in $162 million at its domestic opening weekend, while “Oppenheimer” grossed $82.4 million in its U.S. opening weekend.
By comparison, the first “Dune” grossed just over $41 million domestically in its opening weekend, and has since gone on to take in nearly $434 million worldwide, according to data from Box Office Mojo.
What To Watch For
“Dune: Part Two” is projected to rack up a whopping $170 million worldwide in its opening weekend, including $80 million in the U.S. and Canada. If that projection holds up, the sci-fi sequel would be the first to cross the $50 million threshold in its opening weekend since October’s teen horror, “Five Nights at Freddy’s.” Still, it would fall short of “Barbie” and remain roughly on par with ‘Oppenheimer’ in terms of U.S. gross.
Chief Critics
So far, audiences have raved about “Dune: Part Two,” giving it a 95% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, while critics have given mostly favorable ratings, including a 94% critics score on the site. Critics on Metacritic rated the second installment at a score of 79 out of 100. A review in the New York Times described the sequel, from director Denis Villeneuve, as “bigger and more far out” than its predecessor, lauding the “cinematic spectacle” as “alive and rocking” and a “blast.” A review in The Guardian also praises the follow-up as an “extraordinary visual spectacle.”
