2021 will go down as an especially interesting year in Warner Bros.’ history, because in response to the pandemic hindering movie theaters, the studio decided to release all of its theatrical slate simultaneously on HBO Max. Dune was among the movies that subscribers could watch on the platform for one month at no additional cost. However, since Dune was released on October 21, that means it has left HBO Max, and fans are sharing their strong feelings about that.
For those who weren’t able to check out Dune in theaters, HBO Max provided a welcome alternative for those who wanted to join in on the conversation surrounding director Denis Villeneuve’s latest movie. Alas, while Dune is still playing on the big screen, its HBO Max run was always going to have a time limit. So it makes sense why Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk came to mind for the person below.
Just finished Dune hours before it leaves HBO Max, this is as close to Dunkirk as I’ll ever getNovember 22, 2021
Others turned to moments from Dune itself to express their sadness that the movie was leaving HBO Max. This scene between Oscar Isaac’s Duke Leto Atreides and Rebecca Ferguson’s Lady Jessica certainly fits the bill.
Dune leaves HBO Max tonight :( pic.twitter.com/WFdNgepkbgNovember 21, 2021
While a good portion of you reading this may have only watched Dune once, others played it repeatedly. Nevertheless, the movie’s departure from HBO Max was a sad affair.
That depressing feeling when you notice "Dune" is no longer available on HBO Max, even though you've watched it seven-eight times already. . . .November 22, 2021
Next, props go to this person, who’d already seen Dune multiple times and show it to someone who hadn’t seen it yet before its run in HBO Max ended.
Gave Dune the farewell watch online with a friend before it's time is done on HBO Max. I'll miss it. It was their first viewing. My 6th or 7th, maybe. pic.twitter.com/L68G5x16gqNovember 22, 2021
Finally, we have the folks who weren’t aware that Dune would only be on HBO Max for one month and missed out on the chance to experience it in the comfort of their own home.
Yo… @hbomax put @dunemovie back on. I had been waiting for the holiday break to finally watch only to find out you pulled it off yesterday. Not cool!!! pic.twitter.com/w9co1TxqorNovember 22, 2021
At this point, if you’re wanting to either watch Dune for the first time or are simply itching for a re-watch, you’ll need to head to your local theater to make that happen. But if it’s any consolation for the people who missed seeing Dune on HBO Max, it’ll almost certainly end back up on the streaming service in the near future. If it’s following in the footsteps of movies like Wonder Woman 1984 and Godzilla vs. Kong, then Warner Bros. will focus on Dune’s home media release (starting January 11, 2022) going smoothly, and then the movie will return to HBO Max not too long after.
Because Denis Villeneuve decided to only adapt half of Frank Herbert’s original Dune novel rather than fit the whole tale into one feature like David Lynch did in the ‘80s, the latest cinematic take on Dune left off on quite the cliffhanger. Fortunately, fans can take comfort knowing that Dune: Part Two has been officially greenlit for an October 20, 2023 release. The sequel will play exclusively in theaters for 45 days, after which point Warner Bros. can distribute the sequel through other channels. Dune: Part Two is expected to begin filming in summer 2022, and there’s also a spinoff series in the works for HBO Max called Dune: The Sisterhood.
Warner Bros.’ latest theatrical release, King Richard, is now playing on HBO Max, and the studio’s remaining movies for 2021 are 8-Bit Christmas and The Matrix Resurrections. Look through our 2022 release schedule to figure out what WB and other studios are delivering next year.
