If you just watch the promotional materials being released by WarnerMedia, you would be right to assume Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune” will be one of the many WB films released simultaneously on HBO Max and in theaters in 2021. Much like “Wonder Woman 1984,” “Godzilla vs. Kong,” “The Suicide Squad,” and more, the plan for “Dune” is clearly for the film to hit streaming and theaters on the same day. But apparently, after a bit of pushback from Legendary Pictures, “Dune” still isn’t guaranteed to have that HBO Max release.
According to Deadline, WarnerMedia is still trying to figure out whether or not Denis Villeneuve’s highly-anticipated sci-fi epic, “Dune,” will get that HBO Max/theatrical hybrid release that has been heavily promoted for the first part of 2021. If you’ve seen the various trailers and marketing materials for the WB/HBO Max deal, you know that “Dune” is featured quite a bit alongside other films that have already debuted on streaming and those that are still on the schedule to do so throughout the rest of the year. But that doesn’t mean it’s definitely going to happen.
When the original strategy was announced late last year, and the world was told how WarnerMedia was going to release every WB film in 2021 on HBO Max and in theaters on the same day, people were shocked. And that included Villeneuve, who spoke openly against the idea of his “Dune” being included in that list. Obviously, it’s the hope of every filmmaker to see their features debut in theaters, but Villeneuve thought it was going to kill the franchise if the film debuted on HBO Max and the box office receipts were drastically lower than what they could have been. This is an idea that was reportedly supported by Legendary Pictures, who co-financed and co-produced the film. However, since then, WarnerMedia and HBO Max have continued to put “Dune” in the list of films to get a streaming/theatrical day-and-date release.
But then you have the recent debut of “Godzilla vs. Kong,” also a Legendary production, to consider. That feature debuted last Friday on HBO Max and in theaters and went on to have a pretty solid opening box office gross. This, at least for some, shows the power of theaters and the promise of big box office returns for tentpole features later this year. Will this be enough to sway WarnerMedia and convince the studio to change its plan for “Dune?” If you believe Deadline’s report, that’s still up in the air. But if you’re a fan of the franchise and are hoping for the film to succeed, perhaps this is pretty good news. We’ll just have to wait and see.
For now, “Dune” is expected to debut on HBO Max and in theaters on October 1.