Movie theaters were looking for a savior and ” Dune: Part Two ” is delivering on the promise.

Armed with sandworms, big screen spectacle and the star power of Timothée Chalamet, Denis Villeneuve ‘s science fiction epic stormed the North American box office this weekend earning $81.5 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Internationally, it earned $97 million, bringing its global debut to $178.5 million.

“Denis made a really extraordinary and special film and its been really exciting to see people respond,” said Mary Parent, a producer on both “Dune” films and chairman of worldwide production at Legendary. “It was made for the big screen and it feels like it’s being received as a cinematic event.”

It’s the first major hit of 2024, and one that was sorely needed by exhibitors. Although there have been holdovers from December that have continued to earn, like Warner Bros.’ ” Wonka ” (also starring Chalamet) and Sony’s romantic comedy “Anyone But You,” the box office is in a bit of a drought. In the first two months of 2024, no films have crossed $100 million domestically.

The highest earning movies have been “The Beekeeper,” “Bob Marley: One Love” and “Mean Girls.”

“Dune 2” rode a wave of great reviews (94% on Rotten Tomatoes) into a marketplace that was essentially free of competition. Warner Bros. released it in 4,071 locations in the U.S. and Canada, where audiences across the board gave it the highest PostTrak marks and an A CinemaScore. According to exit data, men accounted for 59% of opening weekend ticket buyers and 64% were over the age of 25.

“It really captured the marketplace,” said Jeff Goldstein, Warner Bros. president of domestic distribution. “It’s a cultural moment globally.”

Premium large format screens like IMAX and 70mm accounted for 48% of the opening weekend business. It marked a March record for IMAX, which made up $18.5 million of the overall take.

Villeneuve filmed the movie using IMAX cameras. Unlike ” Oppenheimer,” it was shot on digital, but with the extra time with the strike delay they were able to make film prints as well and the film format is proving a popular draw for audiences.

The $81.5 million debut is also a record for its director Villeneuve, and stars Chalamet, Austin Butler and Rebecca Ferguson.

Originally planned for an October 2023 release, Warner Bros. bumped the movie to March amid the Hollywood strikes that would have prevented its starry cast from doing the promotional circuit.

“We worked very hard to be ready for that (original) date but we very much felt that, especially with this incredible cast, that it was worth waiting for,” Parent said.

Goldstein added that there was “a lot of debate” over whether or not to release it during the strikes but they knew that they needed the cast to “fully realize the movie.”

“You don’t make movie stars any place other than theaters,” Goldstein said. “Cinemas, on the big screen with the big sound and that shared experience makes a big star, or show the talent of a big star anyway.”