Denis Villeneuvecannot have too much to complain about when it comes to the achievements of his secondDunemovie, which was released earlier this year to both great reviews and a strong box office. However, the director does have the surprising gripe at still having the biggest box office movie of the year as we enter June. During an appearance at the 2024 Canadian Screen Awards, Villeneuve shared his disappointment with the fact another movie has not yet been able to match his achievement and surpass it as the summer movie season gets underway.
Dune: Part Two
Villeneuve appeared at the event to receive the Academy Icon Award, and although he is obviously proud of the achievements ofDune: Part Two, he just wishes that other movies were getting the same kind of success or better at the box office. He said:
“[I am] disappointed to still be number one. … 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. 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.”
Dune: Part Twopremiered on March 1, and was an instant box office hit. By the end of its run, the sequel grossed over $711 million worldwide, making it the highest grossing movie of 2024. This is an accolade that, at the time of writing, the sci-fi movie continues to hold. While otherblockbusters such asGodzilla x Kong: The New Empirehave failed to claim the crown from Villeneuve’s visually stunning epic, several upcoming movies could finally provide the kind of competition the director hoped to have seen by now.
Can 2024’s Summer Box Office Be More Successful Than 2023?
The last two weekends have delivered exactly the kind of lacklustre box office performance that Villeneuve does not want to see become common place in the world of cinema. Despite landing over Memorial Day weekend, bothThe Garfield MovieandFuriosa: A Mad Max Sagahave not exactly brought in the kind of audiences that they were expected to, and that resulted in one of the worst box office weekends in many years.
However, all is not lost, as even though the DCU is a year away from its new iteration, and the main MCU output was pushed back to 2025, there is one Marvel movie that could be coming to put in a big show as the first R-rated MCU film –Deadpool & Wolverine. If there is one movie that is guaranteed to cause a ruckus at the box office this year, thenRyan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman’s superhero team-upis the one to do it. With trailers breaking all kinds of records, and both stars doing their best to make sure the film remains in the headlines as its release date approaches, there are many indications thatDeadpool & Wolverinecould be the movie than finally dethronesDune: Part Twoas the year’s highest grossing movie.
Will Smith Promises Bad Boys: Ride or Die Is ‘What a Summer Movie Is Supposed to Be’ and a ‘Big Surprise’
Will Smith feels Bad Boys 4 is “what a summer movie is supposed to be,” and his on-screen son plays an integral role in the sequel.
With other potential box office winners such asJoker: Folie à Deux, Venom 3: The Last Dance, andWicked: Part Oneall arriving later in the year, there is still plenty of time for 2024’s story to become more of a tale of success than that of 2023, which saw several of the year’s biggest franchise sequels fail to make the kind of impact they were expected to.
