'Dune 3', 'Avengers: Doomsday' sparks massive box office duel
'Dune 3' and 'Avengers: Doomsday' are slated for release on same day
Hollywood is preparing for the biggest cinematic event towards the end of the year.
The major epic franchise, Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Three and Marvel’s Avengers: Doomsday, have officially claimed the same release date for months, December 18.
Dune claimed the slot first back in 2024 through Warner Bros. and Legendry Pictures. Meanwhile, Marvel Studios shifted its next Avengers film to that date after multiple delays caused by strikes and cast changes.
Theatre owner are now voicing serious frustration over the potential overcrowding of the screens.
One exhibitor representative declared, "Someone's gotta move."
He explained, "That's a level of overwhelm that doesn’t make sense. Especially after the last few years [of theatres struggling]. An Avengers movie and Dune 3 are both sure things."
Dune 3 secures a clear competitive edge with three full weeks of IMAX exclusivity. Avengers: Doomsday lacks such premium large format options but still promises massive appeal through its popular cast.
Another issue is that audience demographics reveal significant overlap between the sci-fi saga and the superhero epic. This similarity might spit ticket sales rather than boost overall totals like it did during the ‘Barbenheimer’ time.
The representative also explained that other films, Ice Age 6, Robert Eggers’ Werewulf and Jumanji 3, are also releasing around the same time, which will be "especially bad for specialty distributors because everybody’s going to free up every screen they have for those two films."
Previously, Robert Downey Jr. and Chalamet were at an event, Downey joked about the rivalry: "We both have films opening on December 18, and we decided to coin it — we're thinking 'Dunesday.' We'll see if we’re still friends by then."
The big question remains if one of the studio will step back or fans should really prepare for "Dunesday'.