Dune: Part Three Smashes BFI IMAX Presale Record

When the lights went out on the BFI IMAX’s 70 mm screen last night, the number of tickets already booked for Dune: Part Three could have filled the auditorium twice over. In a single day the London venue—still the largest IMAX screen in the United Kingdom—sold roughly 33,000 advance seats, translating to about £880,000 (just over $1.2 million) in pre‑sales.

That figure doesn’t just look impressive on paper; it actually tops the record set earlier this year by Christopher Nolan’s three‑hour epic The Odyssey, which pulled in £750,000 in its opening‑day presale run. For comparison, the previous Dune entry, Dune: Part Two, managed less than half of The Odyssey’s haul, and even heavyweight titles like Oppenheimer and Avatar: Fire and Ash lagged far behind.

The buzz started weeks ago, when three weekend screenings of the sequel sold out in under an hour back in April, and two preview shows this month vanished within minutes of being announced. It seems the appetite for Villeneuve’s desert‑planet saga hasn’t waned at all.

What makes this moment extra special is the format. The BFI is showcasing the finale on a pristine 70 mm IMAX print—a nod to the director’s love of celluloid and the institute’s ongoing mission to preserve the tactile magic of film. You’ll literally see the sand dunes with a depth and clarity that digital can only dream of replicating.

Story‑wise, the third chapter lands almost two decades after the events of Part Two. Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) is now a ruler wrestling with the weight of his empire, haunted by visions of imperial collapse, and forced to confront old allies turned foes. Zendaya returns as Chani, his long‑lost love, while a star‑studded cast—including Robert Pattinson, Florence Pugh, Jason Momoa, Anya Taylor‑Joy, Javier Bardem and Josh Brolin—adds layers of intrigue and menace.

All eyes are now on the December 18 release, when the film will roll out across the globe. Villeneuve’s confidence seems justified; after all, the BFI IMAX just posted its best‑ever opening weekend back in July, raking in £219,867 from a single screen during The Odyssey’s run. If those numbers are any indicator, the desert storm is only just beginning.