10 Upcoming Movies That Might Already Be Doomed
6. Dune
Though there isn't much reason to doubt the quality of Denis Villeneuve's hugely ambitious sci-fi adaptation Dune considering the director's track record, its potential success is one of 2021's big, lingering question marks.
As a $165 million adaptation of a beloved-yet-niche sci-fi novel, Dune was always going to face an uphill struggle towards profitability, but the film's commercial viability becomes much tougher to quantify given that it's set to release day-and-date on HBO Max alongside cinemas.
Though Godzilla vs. Kong's box office success despite being available on streaming has certainly been encouraging, Dune's more heady, surreal narrative, style, and tone won't be as inviting to popcorn-gobbling audiences.
While the appeal of watching Dune at home as part of your HBO Max subscription speaks for itself, could there be a scenario where Dune fails to turn a profit at the box office and posts disappointing streaming metrics?
Given that Villeneuve has adapted only the first half of Frank Herbert's colossal opus, it'd be heartbreaking for fans if they didn't get to see the second part realised.
It's also important to consider recent word that Warner Bros. is still negotiating with Dune's production company Legendary Pictures for the day-and-date release, which per Godzilla vs. Kong's titanic box office success - within the context of the pandemic, that is - could result in the HBO Max drop being cancelled.
Either way, don't expect the Dune sequel to be greenlit immediately following the first film's opening weekend, as is often typical for big-budget tentpoles.