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The second part of The Adventures of Paul Atreides made big at the Quebec box office last weekend with revenues exceeding $1.86 million, according to data compiled by Cineac.
Denis Villeneuve's film, which is showing in 216 screens in Quebec, is dominating the North American box office (Canada and the United States) with $81.5 million in its first weekend in theaters, according to Exhibitor Affairs – compared to $41 million for the first film. .
If we include international markets, the sci-fi film, based on the Frank Herbert novel, has already grossed $178.5 million.
In Quebec, these results have of course pleased theater owners, who finally have hope of returning to the good days before the pandemic.
“We're all really happy,” says Eric Bouchard, president of the Quebec Film Theater Foundation. We had a good year in 2023, even if it was released Sand dunes 2 It was postponed from November to March due to the strike [des scénaristes et des acteurs]. We are going to restore a certain order. »
Since its release in theatres, Denis Villeneuve's new work has received praise and positive reviews around the world, and is a key element in its current performance, according to Eric Bouchard.
“Everyone recognizes Denis Villeneuve's talent, and when you're in the presence of a good film, word of mouth definitely does its job. Sand dunes 2 It will give a boost to our cinemas in 2024. Trailers are the best way to grab people's interest. »
release Sand dunes 1, in the midst of the pandemic – in 2021 – grossed $1.1 million in its first weekend in theaters in Quebec. It was broadcast on 161 screens, which is an achievement in itself, tells us Mr. Bouchard, who remembers that there were still restrictions imposed in theaters. In total, the film grossed $5.5 million.
The total will likely be surpassed with the second part of this potential trilogy.
All this bodes well for the current year, insists Eric Bouchard, who believes that theaters will finally return to their pre-pandemic performance. “In 2023, we achieved 92% of our revenues compared to 2019. With the release of Sand dunes 2 From the beautiful calendar that will come, we hope that the percentage will be 125%, as expected. In 2025, we will fully recover, with major films hitting screens symbol picture“.
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