8 Teased Movies That Will ONLY Happen If Upcoming Movies Succeed
2. Dune's Franchise Potential Is Dependant On The First Film's Success
According to director Denis Villeneuve, his upcoming adaptation of Dune is only part one of the story, and he hopes to continue it with a second film.
Having helmed the likes of Enemy, Prisoners, Arrival, Sicario, and Blade Runner 2049, Villeneuve has proven himself to be one of the finest filmmakers of our age, so it's actually quite safe to assume that Dune will be a fantastic movie. And - if we're being optimistic - this is also a property that has the potential to be the next big fantasy hit, following in the footsteps of The Lord Of The Rings and Avatar.
But since this is Hollywood we're talking about, none of these hopes and dreams will lead anywhere if Dune doesn't resonate with audiences, and unfortunately, Villeneuve actually believes that this budding franchise might be dead before it's even begun.
When executives decided to move Warner Bros' entire 2021 slate to HBO Max, Dune was one of the affected movies. It will now launch on the streaming service the same day it launches in cinemas, a release model that was blasted by Villeneuve, who stated that Warner Bros might have just killed Dune's franchise potential:
"Warner Bros’ decision means Dune won’t have the chance to perform financially in order to be viable and piracy will ultimately triumph. Warner Bros might just have killed the Dune franchise."
A simultaneous streaming/theatrical release means that the film's box-office numbers will be on the low side, so it will be hard to gauge how successful it truly is. Villeneuve might have grand plans for Dune - but that second movie isn't a guarantee just yet.