They Marketed “Dune: Part Two” Like “Barbie” — And It Worked
The Dune: Part Two Press Tour was bigger and better than the first. And it worked.
Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya, Austin Butler on the Dune: Part Two Press Tour
Needless to say, the film is worth the three hour run time — and, we do need to have a conversation about these 3 hour movies. We need to start having intermissions or something. But, dare I say, all that time flies by. Immersed in the sands of Arrakis and blessed with constant close-ups of Timmy and Zendaya, who could complain?
Perhaps that’s why I still can’t stop thinking about the Dune 2 press tour.
Dune 2 Cast: Who is in Dune: Part Two?
The Dune: Part Two press tour was one for the ages. It helps that the Dune 2 cast is legendary. The carpets and press junkets included Gen Z juggernauts such as Timothee Chalamet and Zendaya alongside Florence Pugh, Austin Butler, and Anya Taylor Joy. If that wasn’t enough, Josh Brolin, Dave Bautista, and Rebecca Ferguson also graced the press tour with their presence. The only thing missing was a cameo from Oscar Issac as the ghost of Duke Atreides past or something — a girl can dream.
With such a stacked Dune cast and 166 minutes of frame by frame excellence, you’ll be surprised to hear that heavy cuts were made. Tim Blake Nelson has expressed being “heartbroken” that his scene was cut by Denis Villeneuve. Makes you wonder what else was left on the cutting room floor — maybe Zendaya’s scenes from Dune: Part One?
The Dune: Part Two Press Tour Was Another Masterclass in Movie Marketing
Of course, these seasoned Hollywood icons know how to act on a press tour. And I’m not just talking about the media training Renee Rapp lacks. I’m talking about using a press tour to really get people talking. From matching outfits to a budding bromance between Austin Butler and Timothee Chalamet (put me in, Coach!), every stop on the press tour garnered viral social media buzz.
It might be too early to call it, but so far, the Dune: Part Two press tour is this year’s Barbie press tour. Though one was actively marketing products and collaborations, Dune had nothing to market but the cinema experience. Despite their differences, many of the tactics are surprisingly similar.
Here’s what I mean:
- The breakdown: Both movies wanted to fill seats and promote the moviegoing experience. They did that by parading their beautiful cast in front of our face and making us run to the theater to beg for more.
- The clothing: Now, it’s commonplace for actors to make their mark by making a fashion statement. But no one does it like Timmy and Zendaya. Just like Margot Robbie became Barbie through the press tour outfits, the Dune 2 cast embodied the sci-fi spirit of the film. I mean, Zendaya’s Mugler robot suit? Say absolutely less.
- The scale: Just like everyone talked about Barbie, everyone is talking about Dune: Part Two. The cast pulled off a heroic, worldwide press tour, many between other projects.
- The impact: I mean … it worked. Seats are filled. The reviews are pouring in, and cinema is totally alive. Dune: Part Two opened with $81.5 million domestically and $178.5 million globally just in the first weekend. Cinema really is back. Dune: Part One grossed $434.8 million globally by the time it left theaters. We are so back.
Dune 3 News: Will There Be A Dune: Part Three?
People are asking: “Does Dune: Part Two end with a cliffhanger?” In Denis Villeneuve’s imagining of the franchise, Paul Atriedes is a more complex character than he first seems. Dune: Part Two begins to explore this but the story is not through — far from it.
Villeneuve has been vocal about his eagerness to expand Paul’s story with an adaptation of Dune: Messiah to really explore Paul’s inner life. And who better to tackle a complex character than our very own Timothee Chalamet — more crying into a fireplace a la Call Me By Your Name, please!
Just like the first film was a bid to get a sequel, the Dune 2 press tour was a bid to get greenlit for the third installment. And just like we were teased with Zendaya in the first film, they’re teasing us with Anya Taylor-Joy so we’re hungry for more in movie three.
There is also a Dune prequel in the works, slated to release later this year via HBO. Entitled Dune: Prophecy, it promises to be a mini-series set about 10,000 years before Dune. While there will be no Paul, it will develop the lore of the sisterhood of Bene Gesserit, of which Rebecca Ferugson’s Lady Jessica Atreides and Charlotte Rampling’s Reverend Mother Mohiam from Denis Villeneuve’s Part One were members.
What does Dune: Part Two's box office success mean for movies?
Famously, Timothee was given sage advice by none other than Leonardo DiCaprio to never do a superhero movie. However, I think Dune is pretty close. Timmy himself said that The Dark Knight was the movie that made him want to be an actor. So not all superhero movies are created equal. And indeed, though Dune boasts enough action to have made Timmy brolic, it’s still a prestige film at its heart.
As Marvel and Sony come out with flop after flop — sorry to Sydney Sweeney and Dakota Johnson, but no one is watching Madame Web — people are tired of the fluffy, formulaic superhero movie.
To make a movie worth going to the theaters for, it has to be worth the trip and the money. Formulaic and predictable doesn’t make the cut. But in the age of Oppenheimer and Dune, impressive and immersive films are bringing home the box office bacon. I expect the same from Paul Mescal’s Gladiator. With actors that talented, it’s a waste to obscure them with CGI and boring plotlines.
But who knows, maybe when Deadpool comes out this summer, the Blockbuster superhero movie will be king again. But for now, it’s all about Dune.
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