How ‘Dune: Part Three’ Could Threaten Nolan at the Oscars

Movie fans got their first real taste of the next big sci-fi showdown last week when tickets for Dune: Part Three went on sale. The ticket launch included standard screenings, premium formats and a new teaser that gives Denis Villeneuve’s return to Arrakis a striking look. The film is scheduled to open on December 18, the same day as Avengers: Doomsday. The ticket rush created plenty of noise. AMC and other ticketing sites faced long queues, crashes and sold-out showings. At AMC’s Lincoln Square location in New York, fans reportedly lined up around the block for IMAX 70mm tickets. That sounds like a blockbuster event, but let’s keep some perspective. When a website collapses, is that proof of historic demand, or proof that Hollywood still can’t handle a major ticket sale? The early numbers suggest that Dune: Part Three has a real audience, but it is not yet matching the frenzy around The Odyssey or Avengers: Doomsday. Current reports put Dune: Part Three at about $10 million in advance sales, while Avengers: Doomsday has passed $35 million. Those figures are impressive, but they also show that Marvel still owns the larger fan rush. Box-office forecasts this far ahead should be trea...