After an unprecedented start, the October box office closed in North America this weekend with a repeat of Dune at number one.
Whether it’s because of Halloween on Sunday, because there are so many new options, or just a lack of enthusiasm, it’s clear that the public has other plans this weekend. Notable exceptions were “My Hero Academia” and “The French Dispatch,” Wes Anderson’s latest film.
The first place went to Timothée Chalamet, which had a bigger budget and a bigger hit. In its second weekend in theaters, “Dune,” also available on HBO Max, raised an additional $15.5 million, according to studio estimates on Sunday. Although it’s down 62% since its debut, ticket sales were enough to give it another week at the top of theaters in the US and Canada.
With a production budget of $165 million (not including marketing and merchandising), Dion grossed $69.4 million in North America and $292.1 million globally. Warner Bros. and Legendary last week confirmed plans to go ahead with a sequel that’s expected to hit theaters exclusively in 2023.
In its third week, Halloween Kills came in second with $8.5 million. The penultimate film in this recent trilogy grossed $115.1 million worldwide.
Although the weekend was quiet, October turned out to be the highest-earning month of the year, with gross income expected to come in at around $625 million. The previous mark was July with 583.8 million. For comparison, total gross revenue in October 2018 – before the pandemic – was $830.8 million.
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