December 18-20 Expected to Be the Most Pre-Sold Weekend in Box Office History

Hollywood has been gearing up for a spectacular box office event for months, and the presale numbers leading up to December’s release date are highlighting just how monumental this holiday season is set to be. With two of the year’s most significant franchise films debuting on the same weekend, the industry hasn’t witnessed anticipation like this in years.

This epic showdown is centered around December 18, when Marvel’s ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ and Denis Villeneuve’s ‘Dune: Part Three’ both premiere in theaters, a pairing that fans have affectionately dubbed “Dunesday.” What began as a scheduling coincidence has quickly transformed into one of the most closely monitored box office battles of the decade.

According to presale tracking, the weekend of December 18-20 is on track to become the most pre-sold weekend in box office history, with ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ projected to earn between $220 million and $250 million in advance ticket sales, while ‘Dune: Part Three’ is estimated to reach around $50 million in its own presales.

This remarkable presale momentum reflects an unusually bold rollout strategy from both studios. Disney launched full advance ticket sales for ‘Doomsday’ a full four months prior to its release, an unconventional approach for a major blockbuster, coinciding with sneak peek footage revealed at San Diego Comic-Con and D23. According to Variety, the film’s first day of general ticket availability generated $16.5 million in presales from just 1,000 premium theaters, double what 2024’s ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ achieved during its opening presale period.

The competition for premium formats has become just as crucial as the ticket sales themselves. ‘Dune: Part Three’ has secured exclusive access to IMAX 70mm screens, with early screenings already resulting in numerous sellouts for the opening weekend well in advance of its release. In response, Disney has secured other premium large formats for ‘Doomsday,’ including Dolby Cinema, ScreenX, and Prime 3D screens, effectively dividing the premium theatrical landscape between the two films.

This battle for screen availability has created a genuine supply crunch at some theaters, with exhibitors reportedly adding extra Christmas showtimes to accommodate the overwhelming demand for both films. According to theatrical sources, ‘Doomsday’s’ first two days of general presales are pacing about 65% ahead of ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s’ opening presale window, a noteworthy benchmark considering that film went on to break records with a $360 million domestic opening weekend.

Industry analysts have already begun drawing parallels to 2023’s “Barbenheimer” phenomenon, when ‘Barbie’ and ‘Oppenheimer’ released on the same weekend and became one of the defining box office moments of the decade. However, experts note a significant difference this time: while ‘Barbie’ and ‘Oppenheimer’ appealed to largely distinct audiences, ‘Doomsday’ and ‘Dune: Part Three’ share a much larger crossover fanbase, raising questions about how much the two films might affect each other’s ticket sales.

Nevertheless, theater executives remain hopeful, given the extended holiday window both films will have to capitalize on. With their release coinciding with the start of the Christmas and New Year period, industry sources believe there will be enough sustained audience interest over the following two weeks to allow both films to succeed without one significantly undermining the other.

For context, the three highest-grossing combined box office weekends in history belong to ‘Avengers: Endgame’ in 2019, ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ in 2018, and ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ in 2015. Given the scale of presale activity already recorded months ahead of release, December’s “Dunesday” showdown seems poised to challenge that record directly.

With both films still months away from their actual release and presale numbers already breaking records, the real test will come once general ticket sales fully open and audiences begin to determine how they will split their holiday moviegoing between these two major releases.

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