Rebecca Ferguson May Need Dune 3 AND 4 To Guarantee Breaking A Major Box Office Record

Rebecca Ferguson will only be able to break a major box office record if both Dune 3 and Dune 4 see the light of the day. With close to 40 acting credits in her portfolio, Rebecca Ferguson is known for playing myriad roles in a diverse set of movies. However, in recent years, she has primarily garnered attention for her roles in movie and television franchises like Dune, Mission: Impossible, and Silo.

Unfortunately, even though the Dune movies are among her most well-known projects and have performed incredibly well both critically and commercially, they have not broken a record for the actress. Considering the first two movies’ success, the Dune franchise may be on the right path toward breaking this Rebecca Ferguson record. However, it may not be able to achieve the feat without Dune 4.

Mission: Impossible Is Rebecca Ferguson’s Highest-Grossing Franchise – How Dune Compares

Dune’s Current Box Office Numbers Are Significantly Lower

Rebecca Ferguson has been a part of the Mission: Impossible movie franchise since 2015 after making her first appearance as Ilsa Faust in Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation. Since then, she has starred in two more films in the action franchise: 2018’s Mission: Impossible – Fallout and 2023’s Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One. Although Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One failed to leave its mark at the box office because of stiff competition from Barbie and Oppenheimer, it still raked in $567.5 million worldwide.

Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation and Mission: Impossible – Fallout were even more commercially successful, earning a total of around $1.4 billion at the global box office. Together, all three films have grossed close to $2 billion, making Mission: Impossible the highest-earning franchise for the actress. Both Dune movies have also performed fairly well. While the first Dune ended its run with $407.5 million, Dune 2 is slightly above the $700 million mark. As the numbers suggest, the Dune franchise has earned a total of about $1.1 billion, which is undoubtedly impressive.

However, compared to the Mission: Impossible movies, Dune still falls short of matching its box office success. Depending on what Dune: Part Two‘s final box office numbers turn out to be, Dune 3 will at least have to gross around $900 million to $1 billion to become Ferguson’s top-earning movie franchise. Reaching the $1 billion mark may not be an impossible feat for Dune 3, but passing the monumental box office milestone will also likely not be an easy endeavor.

Why Dune 3 Alone May Not Break Rebecca Ferguson’s Franchise Box Office Record

Dune 3’s Story May Have A Niche Appeal

Considering how the Dune movies, so far, have offered increasing returns, the franchise may maintain its momentum even with the third installment and eventually surpass Mission: Impossible‘s box office numbers. However, a $900 million to $1 billion box office may be a big ask for a movie like Dune 3 because, as the original Frank Herbert Dune books suggest, the movie franchise’s storyline will likely become a lot weirder and thematically complex in the upcoming installment. Owing to this, its appeal may not be as broad as its predecessors.

Even if Dune 3 manages to be as successful as the first two films in the Denis Villeneuve series, the Dune movies’ total box office will still be a little behind the three Mission: Impossible movies Rebecca Ferguson has starred in. This suggests the Dune franchise will need at least one more installment after Dune 3 to break Ferguson’s Mission: Impossible box office record. While it may be a little too soon to draw any conclusions about the Dune franchise’s future, some speculations can be drawn surrounding Dune 4‘s prospects based on what Denis Villeneuve has said.

How Does Rebecca Ferguson’s Lady Jessica Fit Into Dune 4 (& Will It Happen?)

Dune Franchise’s Future Beyond The Third Film Seems Uncertain

Just like Dune 2’s success has played a crucial role in moving the flywheels of Dune 3‘s production, Dune 3‘s box office performance will eventually determine Dune 4‘s fate. Since Denis Villeneuve has a long history of delivering compelling, though-provoking dramas like Enemy, Arrival, and Prisoners, one cannot help but have faith that the Dune franchise is in safe hands as long as he is helming the films. The fact that he has also managed to create two brilliant adaptations of Frank Herbert’s books even though, for long, the novels were considered unadaptable is a testament to his directorial forte and storytelling skills.

Villeneuve’s consistent success with the franchise makes it hard not to believe that Dune 3 will also find its place in critics’ good books, which will be among the many factors boosting its box office numbers. Unfortunately, even if Dune 3 performs well, the fourth movie’s fate might remain uncertain because the director has suggested he might be done with the franchise after three films. If he steps back from the project, most cast members may follow, diminishing the odds of Dune 4‘s creation. However, one can still be hopeful that Villeneuve will change his mind.

Dune Is Rebecca Ferguson’s Best Movie Franchise Now, Regardless Of Box Office

Box Office Isn’t The Only Factor That Determines A Franchise’s Value

Rebecca Fergusson presently has three major franchises under her belt: Dune, Silo, and Mission: Impossible. However, since Silo is a television franchise, it can never possibly have the same reach and commercial value as the two movie franchises. Based on box office numbers, Mission: Impossible may seem more valuable for Fergusson than Dune. However, since her character dies in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One and will likely not have a significant part in the next film’s storyline, Dune is the only movie franchise that will continue portraying her in a major role.

Compared to Mission Impossible, Dune also encompasses a more expansive universe and gives Ferguson the opportunity to portray a more complex and morally ambiguous character. Her association with Dune allows her to enhance her reputation as a more versatile and dynamic actress, potentially opening the floodgates of other acting opportunities for her in the future. Therefore, even though Dune may ultimately not be able to surpass Mission: Impossible‘s box office record, it will still arguably remain Rebecca Ferguson’s best film franchise.