So, we all remember what happened a few summers ago. A pop culture extravaganza, an alluring, sensational blend of two distinct tones, and yet contemplations on the existential crisis and the perspective on reality made ‘Barbenheimer’ a rare theatrical treat. Barbie and Oppenheimer blew all expectations out of the water back in July 2023, with the originality and innovation allowing these two titles to stand out for several weekends (with superb legs), as each complemented the other in demographics despite their polar opposite tones. The former took home $1.44 billion, becoming the highest-grossing film of the year, the highest-grossing for a comedy and original feature, and the highest-grossing with a female director (Greta Gerwig) at the helm. Christopher Nolan’s film earned $975.8 million, becoming the highest-grossing World War II and biographical film and the second-highest-grossing R-rated feature.
The counterprogramming was apposite, but it was a generational FOMO event where folks stormed to witness a “double feature” and embraced a sense of originality in a day and age where IPs have seemed to trample our livestock in the multiplex. And yet, nothing battling one another on opening weekend has weathered a storm like this.
However, that may all change this December, when two mega-IPs go head-to-head: Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Doomsday versus Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Three. An ambitious play, this time centered around heavily-anticipated follow-ups, in a season where legs are generally more affluent to carry out due to the time off respecting the holidays. And not that we’re in the business of stirring up a kerfuffle, but this will truly showcase a variation of what Barbenheimer set the standard for.
Avengers: Doomsday is the follow-up to the fantastic Avengers: Endgame (released in 2019), which earned around $2.8 billion and became the highest-grossing film for a while. As we’ve well documented, Marvel has been in a wobbly place since then, with some of its most appalling products and assertions that it did not know where to go next. However, with the return of the Russo brothers at the helm and writer Stephen McFeely, folks are more confident they will deliver a product worth watching. This sentiment also comes from the (still-unseen) trailer shown at CinemaCon, radiating with tantalizing moments that Robert Downey Jr. had it played again.
Dune: Part Three is the final chapter in the trilogy, thanks to Denis Villeneuve’s stunning cinematic direction, and its predecessor earned $715 million globally (and was named one of the best films of 2024). With news of the first few minutes stunning folks at CinemaCon, we’re still in store for a mighty capper with Paul Atreides realizing you cannot rule the galaxy with an iron fist. Villeneuve commented, “It’s more action-packed, faster paced, and more emotional.”
Thus, the coined ‘Dunesday’ moment will be upon us, and it will be our duty to witness another aberration in the cinema, showcasing this time how IP collides head-to-head with such vigor that it will break more records. ‘Barbenheimer’ set an immeasurable standard, but let’s see how this plays out to cap off 2026.
