Dune 3 Breaks BFI IMAX Presale Record With 33,000 Tickets Sold in 24 Hours

Key points

• Dune: Part Three sold 33,000 advance tickets at the BFI IMAX in 24 hours, generating over £880,000 ($988,000).
• This result breaks the previous first-day presale record held by Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, which earned £750,000 ($1 million) in the same timeframe.
• The film is set to release in December, with preview screenings at the BFI IMAX beginning on December 15.
• Earlier preview screenings in April and this month sold out in under an hour, indicating sustained high demand.
• The BFI IMAX will screen the film in IMAX 70mm, continuing its commitment to celluloid preservation.

Background

The BFI IMAX has seen unprecedented demand for large-format films recently. Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey achieved a 95% occupancy rate and generated over £2.6 million from a single screen by mid-August, becoming the venue’s highest-grossing film. Dune: Part Two previously ranked third in first-day presales at the venue with £366,000, while Oppenheimer and Avatar: Fire and Ash followed with £254,000 and £116,000 respectively.

How outlets are covering it

Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter both confirm the 33,000 ticket sales and £880,000 gross, highlighting the record-breaking nature of the presales. THR emphasizes the comparison to The Odyssey’s £750,000 first-day presale and notes the film’s December 18 release date. Deadline provides additional context on the BFI IMAX’s historical rankings, including the 2024 Dune: Part Two and 2023 Oppenheimer figures. Empire focuses on the upcoming magazine issue featuring Dune: Part Three, noting interviews with the cast and director, but does not provide specific box office figures. All sources agree on the magnitude of the presale success, with THR and Deadline providing the most detailed financial breakdowns.

Why it matters

The record-breaking presales for Dune: Part Three signal strong audience interest in the conclusion of the Dune saga and the continued popularity of large-format cinema experiences. The success at the BFI IMAX, a key venue for premium screenings, suggests potential for strong box office performance upon release. The comparison to The Odyssey, which achieved a $1.8 billion global gross, indicates that Dune: Part Three may also achieve significant financial success, particularly in premium formats.

What to watch

Dune: Part Three is scheduled for a December release, with preview screenings at the BFI IMAX beginning on December 15. The film will be shown in IMAX 70mm, and the BFI will also screen the previous Dune films from December 11. The success of the presales suggests that the film may achieve similar or greater box office success compared to The Odyssey, particularly in premium formats.