Strategy of Dune 3: the move that leaves Avengers without IMAX screens

The strategy of Dune 3 is shaking up the movie business by directly challenging Hollywood’s most powerful franchise: Avengers. Instead of avoiding a head‑on clash, the film has launched a calculated move that almost no one saw coming: locking in exclusive access to IMAX theaters across the United States for its opening weekend, on the exact same date Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters. While half the internet is busy dissecting the trailer, the real masterstroke is happening in the world of distribution and formats.

Dune 3’s strategy: how this move really works

The strategy of Dune 3 is not a lucky accident. It is the result of understanding how decisions are made along the entire value chain of cinema, from shooting to exhibition. The key point lies in the format chosen for the film: it has been shot entirely on analog IMAX, the largest and most technically demanding format available today on the big screen.

This choice has a direct impact on negotiations with IMAX, which prioritizes productions filmed with its own cameras because they deliver the purest and most spectacular experience those screens can offer. In practice, this means that when two blockbusters collide on the same date, the one shot natively in IMAX usually gets preference over the rest. Dune 3 has taken that logic to the extreme, securing exclusive access to all IMAX screens in the U.S. for its opening weekend, the most important premium market for its debut.

This move becomes even more powerful when you consider the historical context: for years, Avengers was the franchise no one dared to face on the calendar. The fact that a film with a much smaller budget is not only opening on the same day, but also taking away the most profitable format, sends a very clear message to the industry.

Why Dune 3’s strategy leaves Avengers without IMAX

The showdown between Dune 3 and Avengers: Doomsday on December 18 is not just a matter of dates. It is a battle for audience attention and for premium formats. While Marvel has built its dominance on digital spectacle, the Dune saga has embraced the power of native IMAX film to tilt the playing field in its favor long before a single ticket is sold.

Here a technical and commercial reality few viewers know about comes into play: most multiplexes only have one IMAX screen. If that screen is locked in exclusively for Dune 3 during the first weekend —and likely beyond— Avengers: Doomsday is automatically excluded from that channel. And since Avengers movies are shot digitally, they cannot claim the same level of priority as a native IMAX production.

The result is blunt: a movie that reportedly cost around one third of Disney’s blockbuster ends up with the most expensive and profitable distribution channel in the business. Higher ticket prices, a stronger sense of “event” and the feeling that “you have to see it this way or you’re missing out” all work in Dune 3’s favor. It is not just about visual prestige; it is a direct advantage in potential revenue from day one.

The business lesson behind Dune 3’s strategy

The strategy of Dune 3 hides a lesson that goes far beyond cinema: the winner is not always the one who spends more, but the one who understands the rules of the game better. Disney and Marvel have more budget, more characters and more marketing firepower, but Dune has read the board more intelligently, especially when it comes to its relationship with IMAX and premium theaters.

Instead of competing on the usual ground of “more explosions, more VFX, more advertising,” Dune 3 has attacked the real bottleneck of the business: the limited number of premium screens everyone wants. By securing exclusivity in IMAX, it has turned a scarce resource into a brutal competitive advantage, similar to a rival brand locking down the most visible storefront in a shopping mall during the holiday season.

This kind of strategic thinking is similar to what Oppenheimer did when it turned IMAX into part of its identity and main value proposition. The lesson for producers, entrepreneurs and creators is clear: if you understand the incentives of your partners (in this case, IMAX and theater chains), you can multiply your impact without multiplying your investment.

What any business can learn from Dune 3’s strategy

The strategy of Dune 3 is not just a fun story from Hollywood. It is a practical playbook for competing against giants. There are several ideas any business —large or small— can apply:

• Never assume that the player with the biggest budget will dominate every channel. If you understand how decisions are made about what gets shown, when and where, you can win key positions with fewer resources.

• Identify the “IMAX formats” in your industry: those premium, limited, highly visible spaces where your customers pay more attention and are willing to pay more. It might be a marketplace, a physical location, a type of ad placement or a distribution partnership.

• Align your product with the technical rules and incentives of that channel. Dune 3 did not just ask for IMAX screens; it was designed from the shoot up to be exactly the type of experience IMAX wants to prioritize.

On December 18 we will find out if this move pays off at the box office, but one thing is already clear: strategically, Dune has won the first round. The real question is: if you were “Disney” in your own industry, would you keep competing only with budget, or would you also start mastering the rules of the format?