Dune 2 breaks box office milestone: surpasses first film

According to Variety, Danis Villeneuve's Dune 2 has reached a new milestone at the global box office just two weeks after its theatrical release.

The film has grossed $494.7 million so far and is expected to pass the $500 million mark soon, surpassing the $433 million earned by the first film. It took Dune 2 just 10 days to surpass the first film's domestic box office total of $108 million.

As a direct sequel to the first film, Dune 2 tells a new chapter in the story of Paul Atreides, played by Timothée Chalamet, with returning stars such as Zendaya, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin and Rebecca Ferguson, and new actors including Christopher Walken, Florence Pugh and Austin Butler.

The director recently discussed the next installment in the series, saying: "Of course I'm eager to make a third film, but I don't want to rush it. The danger in Hollywood is that people can get too excited too easily and only think about the release date instead of the quality (of the film)."