BREAKING:‘Avengers: Doomsday’ World Series Teaser Sends the Fantastic Four to the Ballpark Before Doom Crashes the Game

Can ‘Dune: Part Three’ Keep Up? ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Tipped to Triple or Quadruple Its Dunesday Rival

Avatar photoByJosip Kraljik Published on
0 Comments
Marvel / Disney / Warner Bros. Pictures
Our Editorial Policy

Share:

Few release-date standoffs have generated as much chatter as “Dunesday.” On December 18, ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ and ‘Dune: Part Three’ both open in US theaters, a clash Robert Downey Jr. helped name during a January chat with Timothée Chalamet. Neither studio has blinked, and the matchup has drawn constant comparisons to 2023’s “Barbenheimer.”

Both films arrive with massive expectations. ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ brings Downey’s Doctor Doom face to face with heroes from 3 colliding universes, while Denis Villeneuve’s ‘Dune: Part Three’ closes out a trilogy that has grown into a genuine theatrical powerhouse. ‘Dune: Part Two’ alone earned $714 million worldwide.

Now a new prediction suggests the opening weekend won’t be close. According to EmpireCity Box Office, as shared by Cosmic Marvel, ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ is expected to earn 3 to 4 times more than ‘Dune: Part Three’ during its opening weekend, based on presales so far. The tracker described Marvel’s film as a juggernaut while noting the forecast isn’t a knock on Villeneuve’s sales.

RELATED:

‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Reportedly Set To Dominate ‘Dune: Part Three’ on Dunesday Weekend

Put those ratios alongside existing tracking, and the scale becomes clear. Global Box Office has projected a domestic opening of $260 million to $300 million for ‘Doomsday’, while ‘Dune: Part Three’ is eyeing a franchise-record debut of more than $100 million, with some estimates reaching $120 million or higher.

The presale numbers explain much of the confidence. ‘Doomsday’ pulled in $16.5 million in its first 24 hours of premium-format sales, roughly double the first-day figure for ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’. It later became the first film to pass $40 million in domestic presales a full 100 days before release.

The momentum has continued overseas. Trackers have reported more than $100 million in global presales, including records for the fastest movie to reach $1 million in presales in both Brazil and the U.K. A Bulgarian tracker also reported ‘Doomsday’ matching ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ at the same stage while leaving ‘Dune: Part Three’ behind. Prediction markets agree. Polymarket traders have bet against ‘Dune 3’ outgrossing Marvel’s ensemble on their shared opening weekend.

Still, ‘Dune: Part Three’ has advantages that raw presale comparisons don’t fully capture. The film secured an exclusive 3-week IMAX window, meaning ‘Doomsday’ can’t play in that format in the US during its opening stretch. One analysis noted that while Marvel leads in overall presale volume, ‘Dune’ dominates high-margin IMAX 70mm ticketing.

That demand has been extraordinary. London’s BFI IMAX sold 33,000 advance tickets in 24 hours, breaking its first-day record with more than £880,000, and UK chain Vue has added extra screenings to keep up.

Runtime could also shape how audiences split their time. Current AMC listings put ‘Dune: Part Three’ at 2 hours and 30 minutes and ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ at 2 hours and 45 minutes.

Even if Marvel wins comfortably, Dunesday may still go down as a historic moment. Should both films clear $100 million, it would mark the first time 2 separate movies each opened above that threshold on the same weekend, and many analysts expect the frame to set a new domestic weekend record.

For Warner Bros. and Legendary, a franchise-best opening would be a victory regardless of Marvel’s totals. For Disney, a 3- to 4-times lead would confirm that the Avengers remain the biggest draw in Hollywood.

Who do you think will win the Dunesday box office battle?

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!

Don't miss:

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted