Dune grossed $15.5 million in its second weekend, boosting its domestic total to $69.4 million, after the formal announcement of a sequel. The picture added slightly over $21 million at the overseas box office, bringing its total to a respectable $222.7 million, for a total of $292.1 million in the Covid period.

The film dropped 62% from its debut, a far better hold than other recent Warner Bros. spectacles, “Mortal Kombat,” “The Suicide Squad,” and “Space Jam: A New Legacy,” all of which debuted simultaneously on HBO Max. Those films almost completely tanked in their second weekends, with each dropping by about 70% while playing day-and-date on streaming.

The sci-fi epic directed by Denis Villeneuve saw a 54 percent decline in overall attendance (34 percent excluding China). France witnessed a 3% gain, while Korea saw a minor 14 percent decrease. Dune has already grossed $33 million in China, making it the leading overseas market, followed by France ($29 million), Russia ($21 million), Germany ($19.9 million), and the United Kingdom ($18.1 million).

To date, HBO Max’s premium streaming option has contributed $17 million to Dune’s entire domestic tally, accounting for little over a quarter of the almost $70 million total, demonstrating that Dune fans prefer conventional watching methods.

As indicated by strong Imax ticket sales, patrons have responded to that feeling. Between Friday and Sunday, the premium format brought in $4.2 million in revenue.

Dune is basically on pace with Tenet in like-for-like markets and using today’s rates, while ahead of recent comps Shang-Chi (+56%) and Black Widow (+59%).  It’s also 84% hotter than Villeneuve’s Blade Runner 2049.

One thing’s for sure: filmmaker Denis Villeneuve, who compared viewing Dune at home to “driving a speedboat in your bathtub,” will be overjoyed. “For me, it’s ridiculous. It’s a movie that has been made as a tribute to the big-screen experience,” the Canadian filmmaker said.  The film’s strong box office performance suggests that moviegoers do not disagree.

The producers of “Dune,” Warner Bros. and Legendary, have already confirmed that director Denis Villeneuve and actors Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, and Zendaya will return to Arrakis for a sequel.