One of the glaring omissions from Monday’s Golden Globe nominations was that Denis Villeneuve‘s epic sequel “Dune: Part Two” was not among the eight films in the best cinematic and box office achievement category.
Introduced for 2023’s ceremony where “Barbie” took home the statuette, eligible films must gross more than $150 million with a minimum of $100 million in the U.S. According to Box Office Mojo, 20 movies released in 2024 have grossed more than $100 million domestically, including Warner Bros’ “Dune 2,” which brought in more than $700 million globally.
According to Dick Clark Productions, the award recognizes “the year’s most acclaimed, highest-earning and/or most viewed films that have garnered extensive global audience support and attained cinematic excellence.”
Needless to say, “Dune 2’s” exclusion was pronounced, even with the film still scoring two noms for best picture (drama) and Hans Zimmer’s original score (which is not Oscar eligible).
According to Portuguese film critic Cláudio Alves, a voting member of the Golden Globes, Villeneuve’s action-packed drama wasn’t nominated because the studio and filmmakers chose not to submit it, leaving eligible voting members unable to check it off on their ballots.
Responding to a social media user, Alves wrote: “Sadly, we could only vote for the films submitted by their distributors in that category. And only 16 films were actually submitted.”
He went on to say: “Neither ‘Longlegs,’ ‘The Substance’ or ‘Terrifier 3,’ or even ‘Dune: Part Two’ were up for consideration.”
Notably, under the current rules, “Longlegs,” “The Substance,” and “Terrifier 3” wouldn’t have been eligible to submit as they grossed $74, $16, and $52 million in the U.S., respectively.
This year’s nominees in the category are: “Alien: Romulus,” “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” “Deadpool and Wolverine,” “Gladiator II,” “Inside Out 2,” “Twisters,” “Wicked” and “The Wild Robot.”
The other movies that would have been eligible include “Despicable Me 4,” “Moana 2,” “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” “Kung Fu Panda 4,” “Bad Boys: Ride or Die,” “It Ends With Us,” “Venom: The Last Dance,” “A Quiet Place: Day One,” “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” and “If.” It is unknown which of the remaining films chose to submit for the category.
Sources close to the film’s campaign tell Variety the decision not to submit was tied to the cinematic and box office achievement category being too new and still establishing itself on the awards circuit, especially standing alongside the top categories at the Globes for best picture (drama) and best picture (musical or comedy). Strategists were wary of the category being viewed as a “consolation prize” for “Dune 2,” opting instead to focus on its artistic merits as one of the year’s best films, which worked since the film is in contention for the Globes’ drama lineup, and is still projected to be among the 10 for the Academy Awards.
Released in March, “Dune 2” is one of the most acclaimed movies of the year. The studio hopes to repeat its robust Oscar haul from the 2021 inaugural entry. “Dune: Part One” was nominated for 10 Oscars, winning six. However, Villeneuve was shockingly snubbed for best director, which many hope will be redeemed this time. At the 2022 Globes, “Part One” landed mentions for picture (drama), director, and original score (which it won).
Variety parent company PMC owns Dick Clark Prods. in a joint venture with Eldridge.
