Dune: Part Three hasn’t even opened in cinemas, but Denis Villeneuve’s next sci-fi epic is already breaking records. The film, which brings Timothée Chalamet back as Paul Atreides, has set a new presales record at London’s BFI IMAX, beating the previous mark held by Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey. With the movie still nearly two months away from its December 2026 release, demand for tickets is already getting a little ridiculous, particularly for screenings in the premium 70mm IMAX format.
According to The Hollywood Reporter and figures released by BFI IMAX, the London venue sold 33,000 tickets for Dune: Part Three in the first 24 hours of presales, bringing in more than £880,000, or roughly $1.2 million. That’s a new record for the venue, which is the UK’s largest IMAX screen. Nolan’s The Odyssey previously held the top spot with £750,000 in its first day of presales. Further down the list are Dune: Part Two with £366,000, Oppenheimer with £254,000, and Avatar: Fire and Ash with £116,000. Some of the first showtimes for Villeneuve’s film reportedly sold out in less than an hour after tickets became available through early-access sales.
Of course, one cinema’s presales can’t tell us exactly how much a film will make worldwide. Still, these numbers show just how much some audiences are willing to plan ahead for a film they want to experience on the biggest screen possible. IMAX 70mm has become a major selling point for filmmakers like Nolan, whose movies have helped turn premium-format screenings into something fans actively chase. Villeneuve has built a similar reputation with Dune, thanks to its enormous desert landscapes, booming sound, and visuals that really do seem designed for a cinema screen. For plenty of moviegoers, the third film isn’t just another sequel. It’s something they want to see the way it was meant to be seen.
‘Dune: Part Three’ Could Be the Darkest Chapter Yet for Paul Atreides
The record comes after the Dune franchise has steadily grown at the box office. The first film, released in 2021 during the pandemic, arrived in North American theaters alongside its day-and-date release on HBO Max and still managed to earn $410.6 million worldwide. Dune: Part Two followed in 2024, benefiting from an exclusive theatrical run and pushing the franchise’s worldwide gross much higher with $715 million. Both films also picked up major Academy Awards in technical categories, helping establish Villeneuve’s adaptation as one of the most ambitious sci-fi projects of recent years.
The next film is expected to draw mainly from Frank Herbert’s Dune Messiah, moving the story forward by nearly two decades. Paul is no longer the young man fighting to survive on Arrakis. He’s now Emperor of the Known Universe, and the holy war carried out in his name has left the galaxy in terrible shape. Holding on to power may prove even more difficult than winning it in the first place, especially as political enemies and conspiracies begin closing in around him.
That shift should give the story a different feel from the first two films. Paul’s rise to power was the centre of the earlier chapters, but Dune: Part Three turns toward the consequences of that rise and the cost of becoming the figure everyone else believes him to be. Chalamet returns alongside Zendaya, Florence Pugh, Javier Bardem, Jason Momoa, Rebecca Ferguson, and Anya Taylor-Joy. Robert Pattinson is also joining the franchise in a new role, adding another major name to an already crowded cast.
Warner Bros. is clearly putting a lot behind the film’s theatrical release, too. The studio has secured an exclusive three-week IMAX window in North America, giving Dune: Part Three a chance to hold on to premium large-format screens during its opening weeks. That could matter quite a bit because the film is scheduled to open on December 18, 2026, the same day Marvel’s Avengers: Doomsday arrives in theaters. That’s a pretty serious clash for two of the year’s biggest releases, and both will be looking for the best screens and the biggest audiences.
The international rollout for Dune: Part Three is due to begin on December 16, 2026, ahead of its wider release. The BFI IMAX record gives the film an impressive early headline, but the bigger test is still ahead. Strong advance sales in London don’t guarantee a record-breaking worldwide run, and the competition with Avengers: Doomsday could make things even more interesting. For now, though, Villeneuve’s return to Arrakis has people booking their seats well before Paul Atreides gets back on screen.