It seems that Dune will be released in theaters internationally two weeks before hitting HBO Max. While this has not yet been confirmed in any official capacity, there are now rumblings that director Denis Villeneuve's sci-fi epic will be released onto big screens everywhere other than the US on September 15th. This would be two weeks before it hits HBO Max and potentially other streaming platforms outside the US giving cinemas a much-needed exclusive release time.

The move would not come as too much of a surprise, as Warner Bros 2021 plans to release their entire slate to HBO Max and theaters simultaneously was met with criticism from several prominent filmmakers, including Dune director Denis Villeneuve. "'Dune' is by far the best movie I've ever made," Villeneuve said of the upcoming adaptation. "My team and I devoted more than three years of our lives to make it a unique big-screen experience. Our movie's image and sound were meticulously designed to be seen in theaters."

Dune is set in the far future of humanity and begins when Duke Leto Atreides accepts stewardship of the dangerous desert planet Arrakis, also known as Dune, the only source of the most valuable substance in the universe, "the spice", a drug which extends human life, provides superhuman levels of thought, and makes faster-than-light travel practical. Though Leto knows the opportunity is an intricate trap set by his enemies, he takes his Bene Gesserit concubine Lady Jessica, young son and heir Paul, and most trusted advisers to Arrakis. Leto takes control of the spice mining operation, which is made perilous by the presence of giant sandworms. A bitter betrayal leads Paul and Jessica to the Fremen, natives of Arrakis who live in the deep desert.

Paul Atreides, a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people. Dune has been described as a mythic and emotionally charged hero's journey and is the first of a planned two-part adaptation of the seminal 1965 novel of the same name by Frank Herbert.

Dune stars a hugely impressive cast alongside Timothée Chalamet, including Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica, Oscar Isaac as Duke Leto Atreides, Josh Brolin as Gurney Halleck, Stellan Skarsgård as Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, Dave Bautista as Glossu Rabban, Stephen McKinley Henderson as Thufir Hawat, Zendaya as Chani, David Dastmalchian as Piter De Vries, Chang Chen as Dr. Wellington Yueh, Sharon Duncan-Brewster as Dr. Liet-Kynes, Charlotte Rampling as Gaius Helen Mohiam, Jason Momoa as Duncan Idaho, and Javier Bardem as Stilgar, the leader of the Fremen tribe.

So, while international movie theaters will reportedly get to enjoy the wonders of Dune while being warmed by the glow of the silver screen on September 15th, the movie will be released theatrically in the United States in IMAX and 3D on October 1, 2021, by Warner Bros. Pictures, as well as a month-long simultaneous release on the HBO Max streaming service. This comes to us courtesy of Boxoffice Pro France.