Denis Villeneuve Responds To Low Summer Box Office Numbers: “I’m Disappointed To Still Be Number One”

Denis Villeneuve attends the premiere of "Dune: Part Two" at Lincoln Center Plaza on Sunday, Feb. 25, 2024, in New York. Courtesy of Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

After the massive critical and financial success of ‘Dune: Part Two,’ director and co-writer Denis Villeneuve is a tad disappointed that his film is still top of the box office charts.

While in Toronto to receive the Academy Icon Award at the 2024 Canadian Screen Awards, the director said he was “disappointed to still be number one. … I hope soon that there will be other successes at the box office. I hope, sooner or later, that this summer box office will be much better.”

Released on March 1, ‘Dune: Part Two’ has grossed more than $710 million worldwide — remaining the top grossing movie of 2024, ahead of ‘Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire’ ($567M). The only film looking to de-throne Villeneuve’s sci-fi epic is ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ which release July 26.

“I think we need movies that are theatrical experiences, that will fully embrace the power of the theatre, and I’m not just talking about Dune 2,” Villeneuve said. “Of course I’m talking about many movies. A movie like Civil War, for instance, is a strong example of a movie that absolutely used the power of the theatre. — I was lucky that Part 2 did reach the audience, I wish it would happen more often, honestly.”

The total box office is reported by Deadline to be down 66% from a year ago.

Alcon/Sony’s ‘The Garfield Movie’ has surpassed Warner Bros’ ‘Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga’ at the global box office in a second-weekend face-off.

Watch a ten-minute preview of ‘Dune: Part Two’ below: