There are plenty of great films to look forward to for the rest of 2021, but unfortunately, due to the ongoing pandemic, it’s hard to know when to look forward to them. One of COVID-19’s latest victims is the sci-fi blockbuster Dune, which has had its release date shifted once again in Australia.
We’ve seen plenty of movies change their release dates over the last 18 months, mostly to allow for cinemas to reopen in the U.S. This is why we’ve seen (some) movies actually make their release dates in the last few months as vaccination rates have grown in that country.
Unfortunately, we’re in the opposite position in Australia right now. After months of living our blissful covid-less lives, a large chunk of the population is now in lockdown.
This has closed cinemas in many Australian states and forced a rethink of local release dates. One delay that’s hard to swallow is Dune.
When can Australians watch Dune in cinemas?
Originally slated for October 21, Dune’s release date in Australia has been pushed to December 2, 2021.
This puts Aussies a good month behind the U.S. and other markets. While waiting undoubtedly sucks, delaying Dune does avoid the scenario we’re currently seeing with Shang-Chi, which allows some parts of the country to see the movie while others have no access to it in lockdown.
Given vaccination rates around the country, November and December are looking like safer months for cinemas to reopen in Australia. As soon as you’re comfortable, make sure to get out there and support our local theatres.
Dune is getting a simultaneous streaming release on HBO Max in the U.S., but this won’t be happening in Australia.
Like in the case of The Suicide Squad, there are viable ways to access HBO Max with a VPN and this would give Aussies access to Dune at the same time as our U.S. friends — if you’re happy to jump through some hoops.
Dune’s director, Denis Villeneuve, was notably unhappy with the announcement that his film would be receiving an early streaming release which undercuts his cinematic intentions. He likened watching Dune on television to “driving a speedboat in your bathtub”.
All the trailers and reviews so far have painted Dune as one film you definitely want to experience in a cinema. Our U.S. review even called it the “sci-fi epic you’ve been waiting for”.
While Aussies will sadly have to wait a little longer for Dune, it’ll hopefully be worth it.
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