He was expected here as the messiah by the Fremen of Arrakis, but ultimately Timothée Chalamet will not attend this Wednesday evening in Montreal the special screening in front of an audience of Dune, part two, of which he is the headliner. The young actor fell ill. He could not be replaced by another star of the megaproduction, all also in poor health according to information broadcast this Wednesday morning.
Director Denis Villeneuve will be there, however. He will be accompanied by producer Tanya Lapointe, his partner, and by artistic director Patrice Vermette, his long-time collaborator who worked on both parts of Dune. He also received an Oscar for the first part, in 2022.
The worldwide release of the second part was delayed due to the actors’ strike in Hollywood in 2023. The film was released this Wednesday in France. It will arrive in North American theaters on Friday. The production was very widely praised by critics, the most enthusiastic speaking outright of a masterpiece renewing the genre of science fiction.
Fans have been waiting since this morning in front of the room where the special screening for the general public will take place. Personalities have also been invited and “a star host” must make presentations before the screening, according to a press release released in the morning.
The film needs to rack up lots and lots of paying fans to make its huge bucks. THE blockbuster cost around US$190 million according to some estimates.
Producers hope to rake in $65 million from weekend releases in North America. To cover its costs, the film will have to raise 380 million according to the basic criteria of this type of production. Dune, part one cost 165 million and generated nearly 435 million in worldwide box office revenue, which led to the production of the second part. A third could follow if success continues.
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