Sci-Fi Dune

[Filmfreak]

As far as box office, I think it stands to do better in March than it did in its original slot. I was always kind of iffy about it coming out in November as I made it clear in this thread many times that they should have pushed it up to October to distance itself from The Marvels. Careful what you wish for, I guess.

But as far as marketing, I don't think the marketing campaign was really in full force yet by the time it got delayed. The SAG strike delayed any kind of press tours which probably wouldn't have started until about now anyway. I'm not sure exactly but wouldn't the biggest extra marketing costs due to the delay be just changing the date on posters? They really didn't get that far into it. The date change on the trailers is an easy fix since most theaters project those digitally.

The second trailer was released in July, which will now be eight months before the movie eventually comes out. Same for trade promotion like that Empire article that was ironically out one day after the delay was announced. Outside the first teaser everything else we saw was kind of wasted, which means they'll have to have more than just one final trailer now and quite a few more exclusive articles to promote this again, because it will be quite a while since marketing picks again.

But you're right, it wasn't full force. As reports were saying, the final marketing push would have started early September and would have kept going for the remaining two months if the film had stay put. It still will cost them more than it would if all this hadn't happen, though.

And you're absolutely right it should have gone earlier to October. I gather it was kind of pushing it because the film was said would probably not be ready in September to play in festivals, but then again WB is the worst in their date choosing, so sabotaging their own movies for no apparent reason, has stopped surprising me quite some time ago.

 

[Sithborg]

This time'll be different, Darth! You'll see!

(I actually do believe this is his year at least as far as Best Director is concerned, but I digress...)

Another thing to note is that an early in the year release doesn't automatically spell doom for Oscar chances. Everything Everywhere All At Once was released in March, after all. Get Out came out in February 2017 and while the biggest award it won was Best Original Screenplay, it most certainly wasn't forgotten and had a year's worth of momentum going into it.

You will get that football one day Charlie Brown.

 

[Sawyer]

Oh LEGO is popping tf off.

 

[TheVileOne]

Zendaya alone has almost 200 million followers on Instagram. They have a gigantic cast that they absolutely need to promote the film, to boost both a successful box office and a successful Oscar campaign. They don't exclusively rely on them but it would be a pretty big blow without them like other films have reported this year.

One the other hand it is still going to cost them quite a bit to promote the film again, the IMAX exclusivity is a question mark (though I'm optimistic it will end up having a good deal again) and it hurts both the awards promo and the momentum of the first movie. So to think that they would have moved it regardless of the strike makes pretty much zero sense and undermines the importance of actors in marketing.

Instagram followers rarely translates to box office success.

Also, if Dune Part 2 opens up without Paul's naming scene, I will lose a lot of respect for Denis Villeneuve.

I'm still annoyed with how the first movie ended. It was badly executed.

 

[Filmfreak]

Instagram followers rarely translates to box office success.

Tell that to Taylor Swift.

The point was and still is that actors of a star-studded ensemble being able to promote the film they're in is certainly going to give it a needed boost in box office gross.

 

[TheVileOne]

Tell that to Taylor Swift.

The point was and still is that actors of a star-studded ensemble being able to promote the film they're in is certainly going to give it a needed boost in box office gross.

OK but Taylor Swift is a popular music Superstar. Also, none of her followers went to see her in Amsterdam. So that's another example.

 

[Loden Greatstorm]

OK but Taylor Swift is a popular music Superstar. Also, none of her followers went to see her in Babylon. So that's another example.

Well said.

 

[emielaen]

I think you mean Amsterdam.

 

[flickchick85]

I think you mean Amsterdam.

But who wouldn't want to pay to see their fave do this?!

 

[Filmfreak]

Anything close to a competition for Dune, meaning A Quite Place prequel and Snow White, have both been delayed this last week. I now feel much more confident regarding its box office numbers, providing it's received as well as the first one. Even with The Marvels predictions dropping each week I think that would partially do some damage in its previous date. So at least there's that.

 

[Drizzle]

 

[OtherwiseKnownAs]

sorry I’ve been gone all day, just got back from the theater: Incredible movie.

 

[Luigi]

 

[Drizzle]

About the same runtime as 2049. I can dig it.

 

[Pennywise]

 

[OrbOfConfusion]

I think the only other film of note coming out around the same time is The Fall Guy. Dune 2 should be fine.

 

[Filmfreak]

I think the only other film of note coming out around the same time is The Fall Guy. Dune 2 should be fine.

The Fall Guy moved to May 3, so not even that!

 

[TheVileOne]

If Dune Part 2 doesn't open with his naming scene, I'm walking out.

 

[Luigi]

March is going to be pure Dune domination.

 

[Filmfreak]

March is going to be pure Dune domination.

Fingers crossed because box office has been extremely unpredictable this last few months, but if there are no more obstacles and it's as well received as the first one, I have a very good feeling about it. No competition, no covid, no day-and-date release, more epic action, award recognition of the first film, sequels to beloved films usually do better anyway, and it's the definition of an event movie that should get butts in the cinema, even more so in a year that we'll see very few of these. I could see this making 50% or even 100% more than the previous one.

 

[TheVileOne]

We'll see. Warner Bros. hasn't been marketing this at all since that trailer release.

 

[OrbOfConfusion]

I have to imagine that's possibly a byproduct of the strikes and not wanting to spend money on trailers, but best guess, maybe another trailer will be attached to Wonka or Aquaman 2 since they're both WB movies.

 

[DJ Kornphlake]

Also the movie got pushed back 5 months.

 

[flickchick85]

I’m guessing they moved it up when they did because they are about to put out new promo materials and wanted to finalize the date before doing so.

 

[Filmfreak]

We'll see. Warner Bros. hasn't been marketing this at all since that trailer release.

It had two trailers and that Empire piece among other things. If it hadn't moved, marketing would had really kicked in two months before the release, at the exact point they decided to push it to March so as to avoid promoting it almost half a year before the eventual release date. I'm sure they'll start somewhere around Christmas again.