19 theaters posted imax 70mm tickets for opening weekend, Dec. 17 to Dec. 20.
Some screenings sold out within minutes after the tickets went live.
9 a.m. PST was the sale time when the first wave of tickets appeared; for the moment each participating theater is offering only one showing at 7 p.m. local time for opening weekend.
Imax 70mm Opening Wave
65mm and IMAX were the formats used on the production; Denis Villeneuve said the film was shot in 65mm and IMAX and described the new installment as "I wanted to go there with a critical eye — and the idea that I wouldn’t be self-indulgent. I wanted it to be a Dune movie, but with a different tone, rhythm and pace. If the first movie was more of a contemplation — like a boy exploring a new world — the second movie was a war movie. This one is a thriller; it’s more action-packed, more muscular."
Villeneuve: Tone, Format, Time Gap
17 years is the time gap Villeneuve says separates this film’s story from the earlier films; he added, "There’s a time gap of 17 years. The world has changed in the intervening years. The climate is different. Arrakis is still a desert planet but there are differences. We approached this film with a new set of eyes."
Warner Bros., Theaters, Future Releases
4 theaters in Los Angeles are included in the first wave, joined by 2 in San Francisco and locations in London, Vancouver, New York, Dallas and Miami.
Dec. 18 is the wide release date: Warner Bros. and Legendary will release 'Dune: Part Three' on Dec. 18, and the first IMAX 70mm bookings covered opening-weekend engagements Dec. 17 to Dec. 20. The cast listed for the film includes Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson (who plays Scytale), Javier Bardem, Florence Pugh, Anya Taylor-Joy, Rebecca Ferguson and Jason Momoa.
19 theaters, a single 7 p.m. showing per location and immediate sellouts for some sessions make access unusually constrained for fans seeking an IMAX 70mm experience.
Dec. 18 also frames the near-term unknown: according to the sources, no additional tickets or expanded showtimes had yet been announced, leaving it unclear whether more IMAX 70mm screenings or additional participating theaters will be added beyond the initial 19-theater wave.
