Warner Bros. is reportedly considering giving Dune a traditional theatrical release, rather than dropping it in theaters and on HBO Max the same day.
At the beginning of December, Warner Bros. announced its plans to release Dune and its other 2021 movies theatrically and on HBO Max simultaneously. The decision has been publicly criticized by filmmakers like Christopher Nolan and could lead to Legendary filing a lawsuit after it financed 75% of the estimated $165 million budget for Dune. According to Deadline, Warner Bros. is hoping to avoid that by potentially keeping Dune a theatrical exclusive, in part because its October 1 release date is well after the distribution of the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine is projected to lead to herd immunity in the spring.
Warner Bros. intends to launch a franchise with Dune, which is the first of a planned two-part film adaptation of Frank Herbert's iconic 1965 sci-fi novel of the same name. A spinoff TV series about the Bene Gesserit sisterhood, titled Dune: The Sisterhood, is also being developed for HBO Max. Dune director Denis Villeneuve is among those who've openly blasted WB's 2021 release approach, calling HBO Max a "failure" in an essay and noting that, with this release strategy, "Warner Bros. might just have killed the Dune franchise."
If Warner Bros. decides to premiere Dune in theaters exclusively before sending it to HBO Max, it would be the third time the studio has altered its release plans for the film. Dune was originally scheduled to open theatrically on Nov. 20, but was later delayed to Dec. 18 and then again to its current spot on Oct. 1, 2021, in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Directed by Denis Villeneuve from a script he co-wrote with Eric Roth and Jon Spaihts, Dune stars Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides, Zendaya as Chani, Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica, Oscar Isaac as Duke Leto Atreides, Stellan Skarsgård as Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, Javier Bardem as Stilgar, Chang Chen as Dr. Wellington Yueh, Sharon Duncan-Brewster as Dr. Liet Kynes, Charlotte Rampling as Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam, Dave Bautista as Glossu Rabban, David Dastmalchian as Piter De Vries, Jason Momoa as Duncan Idaho, Stephen Henderson as Thufir Hawat and Josh Brolin as Gurney Halleck. The film arrives in theaters and on HBO Max Oct. 1, 2021.
Source: Deadline