Dune's director supports the movie's day-and-date release. The latest take on Frank Herbert's acclaimed 1965 novel of the same name, the upcoming 2021 movie marks the second cinematic adaptation of Dune after David Lynch's Kyle MacLachlan-fronted 1984 cult-favorite film. Now helmed by Enemy filmmaker Denis Villeneuve off a screenplay by Jon Spaihts, Villeneuve, and Eric Roth, the new Dune movie features a massively star-studded ensemble featuring Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Zendaya, and Jason Momoa. The movie recently premiered at the 78th Venice International Film Festival to rave reviews, and on October 22, 2021, it will officially be released in theatres in the United States, as well as on HBO Max.

Although Dune is fully on track to bow in cinemas next month, many are still apprehensive about its release date considering the roadblocks the movie has faced in the past. Originally, Dune was scheduled for release on November 20, 2020. But due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was pushed back multiple times. While the delays were expected, given the fluidity of the pandemic around the world, contention regarding Dune's release arose last December when Warner Bros. announced that like all of its other 2021 tentpoles, Dune will be streamed simultaneously on HBO Max for a period of one month. WB's decision was met with severe backlash from Villeneuve, who claimed that the model would harm his film financially. Villeneuve's sentiments were also echoed by the film's cast, including Chalamet, who symbolically opposed the multi-platform release. Now, however, it appears that Villeneuve has warmed up to WB's resolution, as he isn't looking to hold out the movie any further.

Related: Dune's Best Chance For Success is on Streaming, Not the Big Screen

Recently, in an interview with Deadline, Villeneuve voiced his approval for Dune's day-and-date release. The director stated when he had to delay the film last year, he was really crushed as it felt like that he was betraying his audiences. But at that time, postponing the movie was important for the safety of people. However now, since vaccinations are in full swing, it's a sound decision to put the film out for the viewers. Villeneuve doesn't want to unnecessarily delay the movie, as he feels that fans have waited for Dune long enough. Hence he is ok with the movie launching in theatres globally and on HBO Max. Read what he said below.

"The good news is that it’s going to be released on Earth in theaters and in the United States it’s going to be day-and-date. The enemy right now is the pandemic. It is very difficult for theater owners and it’s very difficult for everybody, and I did feel with Legendary that it was time to go out. We had postponed the movie for a year due to safety. Now because vaccinations have advanced, it’s safe enough to put the movie in the world. Last year, when we decided to postpone, I understood why; it was about safety. I was sad because I thought I was abandoning people. There’s always a joy when a new movie is coming out. But, it’s time to hit the road."

The poster for Dune featuring the main characters

Following the recent commercial successes of theatre-only releases like Candyman, Free Guy, and Shang-Chi, hopes for a quick box-office recovery have certainly been restored. Shang-Chi's worldwide gross of $257.6 million particularly shows that audiences are now more willing to return to cinemas, and this puts to doubt WB's decision of sticking with a day-and-date release for Dune. But while films may have already started making money again, it's important to note that that COVID-19 cases are still on the rise, and hospitals are overwhelmed with unvaccinated patients suffering from the delta variant. Nothing can be said about how the situation would look like in a month; hence on its part, WB is right for playing it safe.

Of course, it's easy to tell that Villeneuve isn't specifically enthusiastic about the simultaneous release; rather he has just made his peace with the decision. Villeneuve's concerns are, after all, not unwarranted as his fears have been proven by The Suicide Squad's recent underperformance. What WB needs to do now is to make efforts to improve Dune's commercial viability with its present model. A crackdown on piracy is utterly important, and so is the setting up of protocols to prevent illegal distribution of the movie. The studio giant should also consider shortening Dune's streaming window down from a month to one week, as this would ramp up the number of moviegoing in the subsequent weekends after the movie's release. It is very important that the studio restrategizes ahead of Dune's release. Otherwise, the brilliant masterpiece could suffer like The Suicide Squad.

Next: Why Dune Was Always Destined To Be A Divisive Movie

Source: Deadline

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