The Ultimate Showdown in Dune 2: Uncovering the Secrets of the Chalamet-Butler Battle
By this point, we all know how fortunate we are that we got to see Denis Villenueve’s two-part adaptation of Frank Herbert’s sci-fi novel “Dune” in its entirety. Warner Bros. clearly believed in Villenueve as a visionary by giving him a $160 million budget to adapt the first chunk of Herbert’s book after the filmmaker’s last movie for the studio, “Blade Runner 2049,” severely underperformed commercially.
The gamble itself wasn’t on Villenueve. WB knew he could build massive worlds and tell a compelling story within them. It was on the material to sell itself. Was a nuanced tale of political intrigue (and, eventually, full-on warfare) set on a desert planet of interest to mainstream audiences?
Villenueve’s “Dune” was compelling enough to score a $41 million theatrical opening despite debuting on HBO Max the same day. A significant number of moviegoers understood this was a big-screen experience, and they registered their enthusiasm with an A- Cinemascore.
So WB rewarded Villeneuve with a budget boost, and let him make “Dune: Part Two” on his own terms. He validated their faith by delivering a blockbuster that, to date, has made over $700 million worldwide.
