It’s been a while since we got our first glimpse of Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of Frank Herbert’s novel Dune. The film was delayed for a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and as such, Warner Bros. has had to spool up its PR campaign once again.
It looks like that’s about to start off with a new trailer — but there’s a catch. It won’t be available to watch on the internet at first, but as a dedicated screening in a select number of IMAX theaters.
Warner Bros. is making a bit of an event out of this: on July 21st and 22nd, viewers can sign up for some free tickets to a screening that will feature some “never-before-seen-footage, music from the film, and more — all culminating in the debut of the Dune trailer.” Presumably, attendees will get some sort of behind-the-scenes featurette or extended scene, and a preview of Hans Zimmer’s soundtrack, in addition to the trailer.
These screenings will happen around the US and a variety of countries (you can see the full list and sign up here). The studio warns that these seats will be filled on a “first-come, first-serve” basis, so you’ll want to make sure you get there ahead of time.
YOUR DESTINY AWAITS. @IMAX presents: An Exclusive Look at DUNE featuring never-before-seen footage, music and a first look at the New Trailer. Reserve your seats NOW: https://t.co/IRn1Ta5mtp pic.twitter.com/iriDdfsntX
— DUNE (@dunemovie) July 13, 2021
Dedicated movie-goers have long been entranced by movie trailers—the 1998 film Meet Joe Black got a significant bump in ticket sales because the first teaser trailer for Star Wars: The Phantom Menace was attached to it, and in the world of social media, there’s always a low-level clamor for new glimpses of the next big blockbuster, whether that’s Marvel, Star Wars, DC, or in this case, Dune.
Warner Bros. has gone out of its way to turn these sorts of releases into events: Christopher Nolan’s Tenet got a theater-exclusive teaser trailer last year, and several of Nolan’s films got some extended featurette or scenes attached to IMAX releases.
Presumably, this trailer will hit the web shortly after the event (either the screened trailer or some version thereof). For dedicated fans of the books, it will be a neat opportunity to enjoy the anticipation with their fellow fans, and get a glimpse of the film before its release on October 22nd.
