He was expected here by the Fremen of Arrakis as a messiah, but Timothée Chalamet ultimately will not attend the special screening of Dune: Part Two for Montreal audiences on Wednesday night, of which he is the director. The young actor fell ill. According to information on Wednesday morning, he could not be replaced by another star of the mega production, who was also in poor health.
However, director Denis Villeneuve will be present. He is accompanied by producer Tanya Lapointe, his partner, and artistic director Patrice Vermette, his long-time collaborator who worked on both parts of Dune. The latter also received an Oscar in 2022 for the first part of the work.
The worldwide release of this second part was delayed by the Hollywood actors' strike in 2023. The film was released in cinemas in France on Wednesday; It will hit theaters across North America on Friday. The production was widely praised by critics, with critics most enthusiastically speaking of a masterpiece that renewed the science fiction genre.
Fans have been waiting since Wednesday morning outside the room where the special screening intended for the general public will take place. Personalities are also invited and “a star presenter” has to give lectures before the screening, according to a press release.
Dune: Part Two needs to attract paying fans to offset the enormous costs: the blockbuster is estimated to have cost around $190 million.
Producers hope to gross $65 million in North America this weekend. In order to cover the costs, the film must earn 380 million euros at the box office according to the basic criteria of this type of production. The first part of Dune cost $165 million and generated nearly $435 million in worldwide box office, leading to the production of this second part. A third could follow if success continues.