'Dune: Part Three' Smashes London BFI IMAX Presale Record Within Just 24 Hours
By Elliot Lines - October 23, 2026
Movies - Features - Box Office
Anticipation for Denis Villeneuve's Dune: Part Three is reaching new heights, with the highly anticipated conclusion to his sci-fi trilogy smashing advance ticket sales records at London's BFI IMAX.
The BFI has confirmed that an incredible 33,000 tickets were sold within the first 24 hours of going on sale, generating more than £880,000 in revenue and setting a new first-day presale record for the venue, which boasts the UK's largest cinema screen. An impressive achievement for a film that is still weeks away from release, and another indication of just how much audiences are looking forward to returning to Arrakis.
Dune: Part Three Surpasses The Odyssey and Oppenheimer
The latest figures see Dune: Part Three comfortably surpass Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, which previously held the BFI IMAX first-day presale record with £750,000. Villeneuve's latest outing has also more than doubled the opening-day advance ticket revenue of Dune: Part Two, which generated £366,000 back in 2024.
According to the BFI, the five biggest first-day advance presales at the venue are now:
Dune: Part Three (2026) – £880,000
The Odyssey (2026) – £750,000
Dune: Part Two (2024) – £366,000
Oppenheimer (2023) – £254,000
Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025) – £116,000
The numbers are particularly impressive when compared with the previous two Dune films. While Dune: Part Two was already a major cinematic event, the demand for its follow-up suggests that Villeneuve's trilogy has continued to build momentum with audiences.
It's also worth noting that three opening-weekend screenings of Dune: Part Three sold out in less than an hour when tickets were made available back in April.
The Growing Appeal of IMAX 70mm
Beyond the impressive ticket sales, the figures also highlight the growing appetite for experiencing blockbuster cinema in premium formats.
BFI IMAX will present Dune: Part Three on an IMAX 70mm print, continuing its commitment to showcasing films on celluloid at a time when digital projection has become the industry standard. It's a format that has attracted considerable attention in recent years, particularly through the work of filmmakers such as Christopher Nolan, whose Oppenheimer and The Odyssey both feature among the venue's biggest presale successes.
For many film fans, seeing a film like Dune: Part Three on the UK's largest screen is becoming an event in itself.
When Is Dune: Part Three Showing at BFI IMAX?
Audiences looking to revisit Villeneuve's previous two films before the trilogy reaches its conclusion will have the opportunity to do so at BFI IMAX from Friday 11 December. Both Dune (2021) and Dune: Part Two (2024) will return to the big screen, with the latter presented in IMAX 70mm.
Preview screenings of Dune: Part Three will then begin on Tuesday 15 December, also in IMAX 70mm.
Whether Dune: Part Three can match the critical and commercial success of its predecessors remains to be seen, but one thing is already clear: audiences are eager to experience the conclusion on the biggest screen possible.
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Elliot Lines
Founder - Lead Editor
Elliot loves to surround himself with all things movies. Whether that be his movie related LEGO collection or enough Blu-rays to restart blockbuster.
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