‘Dune’ Stays Atop Box Office as October Sets Pandemic-Era Record
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(Bloomberg) -- “Dune,” the cinematic reboot of Frank Herbert’s epic sci-fi novel, held off newcomer “Last Night in Soho” to keep the No. 1 spot in North American theaters this weekend.
- “Dune,” from AT&T Inc.’s Warner Bros, made $15.5 million in its second weekend in the U.S., according to estimates Sunday from Comscore Inc. Boxoffice Pro, a website that tracks the industry, had forecast $18.4 million.
- “Last Night in Soho,” a mystery-horror film from Comcast Corp.’s Focus Features, generated $4.16 million to tie for sixth place in its U.S. and Canadian debut, Comscore estimated. It fell short of estimates of $8.3 million.
Key Insights
- October, with about $638 million in sales, knocked off July as the best month for North American theaters since the onset of the Covid pandemic last year. A key reason: It is jammed with big releases as studios eased the backlog of films built up early in the pandemic. Several of those movies were geared to younger audiences that may be more comfortable visiting cinemas than older viewers.
- The past five months, including October, have been the busiest for theaters since they reopened, according to Comscore data, and November may continue that trend given the slate of anticipated films, such as “Eternals” from Walt Disney Co.’s Marvel Studios.
- “Dune” debuted simultaneously in North America and on WarnerMedia’s HBO Max service -- one of the last movies the studio has scheduled for such a dual release. Warner Bros. is now planning a sequel to the film.
- “Last Night in Soho” is about an aspiring fashion designer who is transported back to the 1960s. The film stars Thomasin McKenzie as the designer and features Anya Taylor-Joy, who starred in the hit 2020 Netflix Inc. miniseries “The Queen’s Gambit.” Up to 75% of critics recommended the movie, according to Rotten Tomatoes.
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