Both “Avengers: Doomsday” and “Dune: Part Three” are scheduled to open in theaters on December 18, 2026. That means two huge blockbusters are set to compete for screens and audiences on the same weekend, a matchup already being dubbed “Dunesday.”
Apparently, there won’t be a fight for IMAX screens that weekend — both films wanted premium formats at the same time, but “Dune: Part Three,” which, truth be told, snatched that December 18 date first, has claimed all IMAX screens for three consecutive weeks, leaving none for “Doomsday,” according to Empire City Box Office.
This is part of the reason Warner Bros. reportedly isn’t planning to move “Dune: Part Three” from December 18, despite “Doomsday” opening the same weekend; the other point of contention is that Warner Bros. claims it reserved the date first.
Much like Christopher Nolan, “Dune: Part Three” filmmaker Denis Villeneuve has a strong relationship with IMAX, to the point that IMAX CEO Richard Gelfond announced last July that “Dune: Part Three” was mostly shot with IMAX cameras. Finding another convenient release date for Villeneuve’s sequel, with a similar three-week hold on screens, will be tough.