Robert Downey Jr and Timothée Chalamet are trying to make ‘Dunesday’ happen in 2026 after the massive success of 2023’s Barbenheimer.
Downey Jr will be playing the villainous Doctor Doom in the highly anticipated Avengers: Doomsday, while Chalamet returns as Paul Atreides in the third instalment of Denis Villeneuve’s Dune series. Both films are slated to be released on 18 December this year, setting up what could be either one of the year’s biggest theatrical clashes or rare dual-release phenomenon.
Appearing together on stage in Los Angeles on Wednesday for a special screening of Chalamet’s film Marty Supreme, Downey Jr teased the possibility of a similar box office moment emerging from the two films’ shared release date.
“We both have films opening on December 18, and we decided to coin it…We’re thinking ‘Dunesday,’” Downey Jr said.
“We’ll see if we’re still friends by then.”
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Thanks to the simultaneous release of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie and Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer in July 2023 which became known as Barbenheimer, audiences transformed a potential box office clash into a cultural event, with many opting to see both films as a double feature.
Both films exceeded expectations at the global box office, with Barbie grossing more than $1.4bn worldwide and Oppenheimer earning close to $1bn globally.
Since then, other same-day or closely timed releases have attempted to recreate that momentum, though none have matched the scale or impact of Barbenheimer.
Last year, the Internet attempted to recreate the magic with ‘Glicked’, with the simultaneous release of Jon M Chu’s screen adaptation Wicked and Ridley Scott’s Gladiator sequel. However, while the box office numbers were certainly nothing to scoff at, they weren’t able to live up to the record-breaking $244m Barbeinheimer opening.
It was revealed in July this year that Iron Man star Robert Downey Jr will play Doomsday antagonist Doctor Doom, returning seven years after Avengers: Endgame, which saw him leave the MCU. The bumper cast also features several other returning stars such as Chris Evans (Steve Rogers/Captain America), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Anthony Mackie (Falcon/Captain America), Sebastian Stan (Bucky Barnes), Tom Hiddleston (Loki) and Letitia Wright (Black Panther’s Shuri).
Avengers: Doomsday will also bring back several X-Men stars, including Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart, James Marsden, and Rebecca Romijn.
Dune: Part Three will also see Zendaya reprise her role as Chani, and Josh Brolin, Florence Pugh, Rebecca Ferguson, and Anya Taylor-Joy are also returning. Jason Momoa, who appeared in the first Dune but not the second, has confirmed he will make his return as Duncan Idaho in Part Three.
Filming has reportedly commenced in Budapest, where Zendaya recently arrived for what will be an “extensive, multi-location, multi-month shoot,” according to World of Reel.
Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Part Three will be released in theatres on 18 December 2026.
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