‘Dune: Part Three’ Is Already Outselling ‘The Odyssey,’ and a Monster Opening Could Be Heading for ‘Avengers: Doomsday’

Holiday box office wars don’t usually start eight months early, but this one has. Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi finale has been generating headlines since IMAX tickets first went on sale in April, and the demand has barely cooled. The ‘Dune: Part Three‘ ticket sales story just took another big step.

The film arrives in North America on December 18 and internationally on December 16, with Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Jason Momoa, Florence Pugh, Rebecca Ferguson, Javier Bardem and Robert Pattinson among the cast. Anya Taylor-Joy also steps up as Alia. It adapts Frank Herbert’s ‘Dune Messiah,’ picking up roughly two decades after Paul Atreides seized control of the Imperium.

Now the numbers for regular showings are starting to arrive, and they’re strong. According to one box office tracker, ticket sales for standard screenings had an excellent start, and the film is currently selling better than Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey.’ That tracker is projecting a domestic opening weekend of more than $100 million, with $120 million or more not out of reach.

DUNE: PART THREE ticket sales for regular showings had an excellent start. Starring Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya, it’s selling better than Christopher Nolan’s THE ODYSSEY. We’re projecting a $100M+ domestic opening weekend, and $120M+ is not out of reach. https://t.co/LE2BlWFaOs

— Global Box Office (@GlobalBoxOffice) October 22, 2026

The first wave of tickets was limited to IMAX 70mm screenings, with one show a day at 19 locations across opening weekend. They sold out within hours in North America and London. In London, all of the BFI IMAX screenings for opening weekend were gone almost immediately.

The scarcity also pushed up prices on the secondary market. eBay listings were mostly between $200 and $500, and one report said three seats at a San Francisco theater were listed for $2,100. Buyers who got tickets also received a limited-edition collectible filmstrip.

This week the studios opened the widest wave of presales yet, including premium large formats like Dolby for the first time. The surge was so intense that AMC’s app buckled under the load. The BFI IMAX in London reportedly sold 33,000 advance tickets in 24 hours, which would be a record.

There’s a big caveat, though. Warner Bros. and Legendary haven’t released any domestic presale numbers, and both studios declined to comment when asked by TheWrap. The $100 million projection is one tracker’s estimate, not a studio figure.

“Forgive me for all I’ve done.” Experience the epic conclusion. Dune: Part Three only in theaters and IMAX December 18. #DuneMovie #FilmedforIMAX https://t.co/x9Nftg9yXd

— DUNE (@dunemovie) July 8, 2026

The film opens on the same day as Marvel’s ‘Avengers: Doomsday,’ a showdown fans have nicknamed ‘Dunesday.’ Villeneuve’s film holds an exclusive IMAX window in the United States covering the opening weeks, which means ‘Doomsday’ won’t have any domestic IMAX screens during that stretch. IMAX and other premium formats come with higher ticket prices, so the exclusivity is a real boost.

Fans who want to see it early can attend ‘Dune Insider’ screenings, which begin December 14 in IMAX 70mm, expand to digital IMAX on December 15, and roll out to other premium formats on December 17. Meanwhile, Disney is promoting its own premium formats through its Infinity Vision campaign.

The final trailer for Christopher Nolan’s ‘THE ODYSSEY’ has been released. In theaters on July 17. https://t.co/xn42TcX4aG

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) July 1, 2026

The competition is stacked. ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ opened advance sales around four months early, and after two days it was reportedly about 65% ahead of the pace set by ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day.’ Disney’s film also has a head start in raw presale volume.

As for ‘Dune: Part Three,’ TheWrap says it’s probably too much to ask for it to match the run of ‘The Odyssey,’ which was set to pass $1.3 billion worldwide. Its predecessor ‘Dune: Part Two’ finished with $714 million globally, so there’s plenty of room to grow. Still, some theatrical sources say the IMAX 70mm sellouts could support round-the-clock showtimes through Christmas weekend and beyond.

The real test will come when wide presales across standard screens start to accumulate. Studios often keep numbers quiet until opening week, so the next few weeks will be about tracking updates and sellout reports. Either way, the film is already shaping up as one of the most closely watched releases of the year.

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