While Dune’s official release date in the United States is October 22, many theatres will premiere Denis Villenevue’s epic starting on the evening of October 21. Accordingly, the HBO Max release has been moved up a couple of hours to match, now arriving at 3 PM PDT on Thursday October 21.
The HBO Max release for Dune follows Warner Bros’ pattern of theatrical releases in 2021, with each of its films available on the streaming service for 31 days after premiering. This approach has been controversial for many of Warner Bros’ films, but especially for an epic like Dune.
The director himself has criticized the move in the lead up to the film’s premiere, saying that watching Dune on a home TV would be like driving a speedboat in your bathtub. Even Kyle MacLachlan, the star of David Lynch’s 1984 Dune adaptation, has spoken out against the HBO Max release.
Love it or hate it, Dune will arrive on HBO Max at the same time as fans start heading to the theatres, and it’ll likely provide a grand spectacle no matter where you choose to watch it. GameSpot reviewer Michael Rougeau scored the film 10/10, calling it “the best possible adaptation of the classic sci-fi novel.”
