“I tried to see Dune in IMAX but when I went to buy tickets, all the screenings were Eternals.” I heard this several times in the past few weeks as friends headed out to see Denis Villeneuve’s Dune, only to realise all the IMAX screens had been taken over by Marvel’s latest. But like the Harkonnens to Arrakis, Dune is coming back.
IMAX has officially announced that on December 3, the sci-fi epic will return to its theatres for a limited time. (Probably for two weeks, until Spider-Man: No Way Home arrives on December 17.) Tickets are on sale now with more showtimes and screens coming on November 29. December 3 is also the day Dune arrives on demand, but unless your screen is bigger than your entire home, IMAX will be a much, much better presentation.
Villeneuve filmed Dune for IMAX so, in the format, you see between 26 and 40% more image, depending on the location. It truly feels like the planet of Arrakis completely engulfs you and, much like Paul Atreides himself, you can find yourself enamoured by this whole new world. Here’s a little video with more info.
So to recap: from now until December 3, Dune is only available to see in regular theatres since it’s no longer on HBO Max. On December 3, you can rent or buy Dune on digital on-demand, or you can go watch it in select IMAX theatres. It’ll play in IMAX for a few weeks, then head to a few regular theatres again — and then on January 11 it’ll be on Blu-ray and DVD. Next year, filming will begin on Dune: Part Two and then in October 2023, that’ll be in theatres (IMAX too, you’d assume).
Did you see Dune in IMAX? Did you miss it? Will you head out to check it out on December 3?
Editor’s Note: Release dates within this article are based in the U.S., but will be updated with local Australian dates as soon as we know more.