‘Dune: Part Three’ Shatters London IMAX Presale Record, Topping Even ‘The Odyssey’
Few movies have generated the kind of ticket frenzy surrounding ‘Dune: Part Three’, and the UK’s biggest screen is the latest place to feel it. Denis Villeneuve’s conclusion to his trilogy, based on Frank Herbert’s ‘Dune Messiah’, picks up 17 years after the previous film with Paul Atreides ruling as Emperor.
Demand has been building for months. Back in April, the 3 opening weekend screenings at London’s BFI IMAX sold out in under an hour, and 2 preview screenings sold out earlier this month after more than 100,000 people reportedly joined the online queue.
Now, the film has officially made history at the venue. BFI IMAX, the UK’s largest screen, sold 33,000 advance tickets for ‘Dune: Part Three’ in just 24 hours, setting a new first-day presale record with a gross of more than £880,000, or about $988,000.
That total puts it ahead of Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’, which previously held the venue’s first-day presale record. ‘Dune: Part Two’ also ranks among the top first-day presales at the cinema.
It’s a remarkable feat considering what ‘The Odyssey’ achieved there. By mid-August, the BFI IMAX had sold more than 100,000 admissions for Nolan’s film, earning £2,683,987 from a single screen with a 95% occupancy rate, making it the cinema’s highest-grossing film ever.
The BFI will present Villeneuve’s film on a pristine IMAX 70mm print, calling it part of its commitment to preserving and celebrating celluloid. Preview screenings in IMAX 70mm begin at the venue on December 15.
The new trailer for ‘DUNE: PART 3’ has been released. In theaters on December 18. https://t.co/T1eilXnA1N
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) July 8, 2026
Fans can also revisit the saga before the finale. ‘Dune’ and ‘Dune: Part Two’ return to the BFI IMAX from December 11, with the latter shown on an IMAX 70mm print. The format matters for this film in particular. ‘Dune: Part Three’ is the first entry in the franchise shot using a combination of IMAX-certified digital cameras and IMAX film cameras, and it features 71 minutes in IMAX’s expanded 1.90:1 aspect ratio.
In select IMAX with Laser and IMAX 70mm locations, those sequences expand even further to the towering 1.43:1 ratio. The movie was primarily shot on 65mm film, with desert scenes captured in IMAX Digital.
London isn’t the only place seeing chaos. When premium-format tickets went on sale, Gizmodo described the rollout as kind of a disaster, comparing it to the frenzy around ‘The Odyssey’.
The cast of ‘DUNE: PART THREE’ wants you to know that tickets are on sale now. https://t.co/yW9Qz9FyKn
— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) October 20, 2026
Scalpers have also jumped in. One seller reportedly sold a single ticket for a Cinemark Dallas screening for $1,000 on eBay, while Forbes noted IMAX 70mm seats listed for $200 apiece. The scarcity explains the demand. Only 41 theaters worldwide can project the film on IMAX 70mm, including just 18 locations in the US.
Timothée Chalamet returns as Paul alongside Zendaya as Chani, Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica, and Javier Bardem as Stilgar. Florence Pugh plays Princess Irulan, with Anya Taylor-Joy as Alia Atreides, Jason Momoa as a new version of Duncan Idaho, and Robert Pattinson as Scytale.
Villeneuve, who co-wrote the script with Brian K. Vaughan, has said the film leans more into a thriller tone with more action than the previous 2 movies. It marks his and Chalamet’s final trip into this universe.
The film opens internationally beginning December 16 and in North America on December 18. That puts it head-to-head with ‘Avengers: Doomsday’, a clash fans have dubbed “Dunesday.” Reports have suggested ‘Dune: Part Three’ secured an IMAX-heavy opening weekend. If the BFI numbers are any indication, the competition for premium screens will be fierce.
Are you planning to watch Dune: Part Three in IMAX 70mm?
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