Dune will be returning to IMAX theaters in December for a limited time only. Denis Villeneuve's epic science-fiction film saw a simultaneous release on October 22 in theaters and on HBO Max. The visionary director is not the first to tackle an adaptation of Frank Herbert's seminal novel from 1965, though it appears to be the most successful. David Lynch's Dune from 1984 was a critical and commercial flop, which is commonly blamed on the studio meddling with the final cut. Despite many deeming the source material unfilmable, Villeneuve's version has received overwhelmingly positive reviews while also making bank at the box office.

Set in the distant future, Dune centers around young protagonist Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet), whose house is ordered to leave their ocean planet of Caladan to replace House Harkonnen as the fief rulers of the harsh desert planet Arrakis, the only source of the galaxy's most coveted resource known as Spice. Along with other Chalamet films like The French Dispatch and Don't Look Up, Dune boasts one of the year's best casts, including big names like Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Dave Bautista Zendaya, Jason Momoa, and Javier Bardem.

Now, Deadline reports that Dune will be returning to IMAX theaters next month. It's unclear how long the movie will play for, though it will return on December 3 for a limited time. Warner Bros. also did not specify why the film is coming back to IMAX.


The movie's box office haul from IMAX alone is currently close to $50 million, so it makes sense WB would bring it back to cross that threshold. However, it will have plenty of competition during December, with anticipated releases like West Side Story, Spider-Man: No Way Home and The Matrix Resurrections also coming to theaters. Dune's worldwide box office gross is currently $367 million, an impressive total for the pandemic era coupled with its dual streaming availability, though Dune just left HBO Max. Instead, fans will now be able to return to IMAX theaters and experience the film in its pure unadulterated form.

Dune's return to IMAX also underscores how Villeneuve designed the film to be experienced in that format. Dune will be presented in a 1.90:1 aspect ratio in many IMAX theaters, which allows audiences to see 26% more of the original picture. At the same time, select locations will have a 1.43 aspect ratio, resulting in 40% more picture. In the case of a visionary piece like Dune, this expanded aspect ratio is not to be underestimated to ensure the most immersive experience possible for audiences.

Dune 2 (2023)
Release Date: Oct 20, 2023