Dune is headed back to theaters right after receiving 10 Oscar nominations. Warner Bros. is planning on re-releasing the film in 300-500 theaters this upcoming weekend.
Despite the controversial decision to release Dune as a day-and-date release in theaters and on HBO Max, the film performed admirably at the box office, grossing close to $400 million and over $107 million domestically. In fact, it is the highest-grossing film from 2021 that got a Best Picture nomination. Dune is based on the classic sci-fi novel by Frank Herbert and is directed by Dennis Villeneuve. It features an all-star cast: Timothee Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Dave Bautista, Josh Brolin, Jason Momoa, and Zendaya.
This trip back to theaters comes right after Dune picked up 10 Oscar nominations, the second most for this year’s ceremony, coming in just behind Jane Campion’s The Power of the Dog, which scored 12 nominations. Dune‘s nominations include Cinematography, Production Design, Editing, Costume Design, VFX, Make-up/hairstyling, Original Score, Sound, and Best Picture.
Surprisingly, Dune did not receive a Best Director nomination for Villeneuve, who was possibly the biggest snub of 2022. The Best Director category ended up being filled by Paul Thomas Anderson (Licorice Pizza), Jane Campion (The Power of the Dog), Steven Spielberg (West Side Story), Ryusuke Hamaguchi (Drive My Car), and Kenneth Branagh (Belfast). It is surprising to see Villeneuve left off the list, especially since the Academy appeared to be a huge fan of Dune.
Still, 10 nominations is impressive, and Warner Bros. appears to be hoping that the recent Oscar nominations could lead to a small box office bump at the cinema. The 10 nominations are the most ever for producer Legendary Entertainment, and the same number as Mad Max: Fury Road, another blockbuster success that was also nominated for Best Picture and ended up winning 6 total Oscars.
Dune will return to HBO Max on March 10, just before the final voting occurs from March 17-22, and the ceremony itself takes place on March 27. According to Deadline, Villeneuve is expected to start shooting the sequel to Dune this summer, with an expected release date of October 2023.