The countdown to Dune: Part Two‘s premiere has been slightly shortened. Today, Warner Bros. and Legendary announced that they’re bringing the tentpole movie forward to March 1, 2024, two weeks earlier than its previously allocated release date of March 15.
This follows news that Universal’s The Fall Guy, starring Ryan Gosling, has vacated the March 1 date (it moves to May 3), leaving an advantageous opening in the release calendar. Now, Dune: Part Two‘s theatrical run will encompass the entirety of 2024’s Spring Break period—beginning as early as March 2 for many colleges—offering a star-studded attraction that’s bound to capture a piece of the crowd.
Indeed with the SAG-AFTRA (actors’ labor union) strike having ended on November 9, cast members are freed to promote the movie. That means, together with the final waves of marketing, there will be plenty of interviews and social media activation with Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Florence Pugh, Austin Butler, and all the other high-profile performers.
IMAX 70mm Format?
As it stands now, Dune: Part Two has the new March 1, 2024 release date all to itself. The film was shot fully with IMAX cameras and is expected to run for at least 2-3 weeks on those premium screens—potentially more depending on how the rest of the month shapes up.
Dune: Part Two will reportedly also receive special screenings in IMAX 70mm, exclusive to select theaters—currently only 30 locations globally have capability to playback these enormous reels. This premier format, recently offered with Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, presents an unparalleled experience in the 1:43:1 aspect ratio.
Recapping the Release Date Changes
This is actually the fourth release date change for Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two. When the movie was originally green-lighted—that announcement had followed shortly after the United States premiere of Dune: Part One—it was assigned a release date of October 20, 2023.
Last year, in seeking an optimal theatrical window, Warner Bros. Pictures shifted the movie’s release twice; first back to November 17 and then forward to November 3. Everything looked set for a 2023 debut, until the actors’ union strike commenced this past summer and consequently Dune: Part Two was delayed into 2024.
