Dune 2, Godzilla X Kong Box Office Hurls Warner Bros Past Major Milestone

Dune: Part Two and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire have worked in tandem to push Warner Bros. past a major box office milestone. Both movies are sequels to 2021 titles that were given day-and-date releases on HBO Max and both feature the return of their original directors, Denis Villeneuve and Adam Wingard respectively. Despite a compromised release, 2021’s Dune became the No. 12 movie of the year worldwide with a gross of $402 million while Godzilla vs. Kong was No. 8 with $470.1 million.

Per Deadline, the combined hauls of the Godzilla x Kong and Dune 2 box office has resulted in Warner Bros. becoming the first studio to pass the $1 billion milestone in international markets in 2024. With the former title earning $278.6 million internationally and the latter making $411.8 million, combined with holdover 2023 hits like Wonka and Aquaman 2, this has combined to a tremendous total of $1.04 billion for the year so far. By crossing the threshold in just 15 weeks, they have also beaten their own previous record, which was 17 weeks in 2018.

This Could Be The Beginning Of A Banner Year For Warner Bros.

The Company Has Struggled At The Box Office In Recent Years

Passing this threshold could be proof that Warner Bros. is in the middle of a major turnaround. While the company was behind the release of the record-breaking smash hit Barbie in 2023, it has nevertheless had quite a few challenges in the theatrical market over the past few years. In addition to HBO Max day-and-date releases eating into theatrical profits for their entire 2021 slate, one of their biggest brands – DC Studios – has been experiencing severely diminishing box office returns since 2020.

Now that the Dune 2 and Godzilla x Kong box office have provided it a boost, the company’s prospects for the year are already looking bright. That said, not every upcoming 2024 Warner Bros. movie is a guaranteed success. In addition to putting out smaller movies like Challengers and Turtles All the Way Down, they will be releasing several belated sequels including Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, and Twisters. While any of these titles could become a runaway success, it remains to be seen how audiences respond to them.

However, Warner Bros. has follow-ups to huge franchises on the docket for 2024 as well. This includes the hotly anticipated sequel Joker: Folie à Deux, which is following a $1.07 billion movie, and the animated feature The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, which is following a $2.988 billion franchise. With those titles combined with the might of the Dune: Part Two and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, the company could be on its way toward a record-breaking year.

Source: Deadline

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  Dune: Part Two

  Dune: Part Two is the sequel to Denis Villeneuve’s 2021 film that covers the novel’s events by Frank Herbert. The movie continues the quest of Paul Atreides on a journey of revenge against those who slew his family. With insight into the future, Atreides may be forced to choose between his one true love and the universe’s fate. 

  Release Date

  March 1, 2024

  Studio(s)

  Legendary Pictures

  Distributor(s)

  Warner Bros. Pictures

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  Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire

  After nearly destroying each other in 2021’s Godzilla vs. Kong, the giant Titans are back to face a new dangerous threat, but this time, they are on the same side. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is the fifth film in Warner Bros.’ growing Monsterverse franchise and will be directed by Adam Wingard.

  Director

  Adam Wingard

  Release Date

  March 29, 2024

  Studio(s)

  Legendary Pictures

  Distributor(s)

  Warner Bros. Pictures

  Writers

  Terry Rossio , Simon Barrett , Jeremy Slater