• by Wayne Friedman , March 3, 2024

Giving the weak U.S. theatrical market this year a boost, Warner Bros.' "Dune: Part Two" left other movies in the dust with a massive $81.5 million opening the first weekend in March, according to Comscore.

Its $80 million-plus opening was double the amount for the original “Dune” (2021) which posted a $41 million U.S./Canada opening three years ago.

This year’s “Dune” edition also took in $97 million internationally. 

In second place was Paramount Pictures’ “Bob Marley: One Love,” adding another $7.4 million in its third week -- now totaling $82.7 million for three weeks of domestic release.

The 2024 year-to-date box office is down 13% from the year before, for a total of $1.0 billion in U.S. theatrical box-office revenues.

Two months into the year so far, U.S. theatrical national TV advertising spend is down 27% to  $188.5 million, coming from 30,000 airings and yielding 18.2 billion impressions, according to estimates from EDO Ad Engage.

“Dune” has spent $19.9 million TV advertising so far this year -- with 7,030 airings (3.2 billion impressions).

Warner Bros.’ Paramount Pictures’ “Bob Marley: One Love” is at $18.4 million in spend (4,110 airings, and 2.4 billon impressions).

A year ago, over the same time period, national TV advertising was $256.9 million from 49,870 airings and 27.3 billion impressions. 

High-spending movies in 2023 include Warner Bros. “Magic Mike’s Last Dance” ($26.5 million) and Walt Disney “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania”($25.6 million).