'Dune 2's Digital Release Defies a Hollywood Trend

— Warner Bros.

Dune: Part Two was a cinematic event, and it was uncontested that it was meant to be seen in theaters, ideally in IMAX. But once the smash hit sequel eventually moves away from theaters, fans will have to settle for the home releases. While the physical releases — DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K — won’t be available until mid-May, you can now buy or rent the epic saga for your own viewing.

But if you are being patient and waiting for the physical release, you may want to reconsider. The digital release has one big advantage that not even the theatrical release includes: bonus features.

Bonus features are a big perk of home releases, especially with blockbuster movies like Dune: Part Two that have incredibly complex productions. But curiously, only the digital release includes all the bonus features. According to IGN, the physical releases include the featurettes “Chakobsa Training,” “Creating the Fremen World Finding the Worlds of Dune,” “Buzz Around the New ‘Thopter,’” “Worm-Riding,” “Becoming Feyd,” “A New Set of Threads,” and “Deeper into the Desert: The Sounds of the Dune.”

That sounds impressive, but the “premium digital ownership” version of the release includes all those featurettes, as well as “Filmbooks: House Corrino,” “Filmbooks: The Reverend Mother,” “Filmbooks: Water,” “Filmbooks: Lisan-al-Gaib,” “An Ensemble for the Ages,” “Inside Dune: The Spice Harvester Attack,” “Inside Dune: Gurney Hallaeck’s Revenge,” and “Inside Dune: The Fight for the Imperial Throne.”

It’s unusual for a digital release to contain more features than a physical release, as Blu-rays and 4K discs are often seen as the ultimate way to own a piece of media — it’s a physical disc, meaning access can never be revoked. But with this new discrepancy, fans may be forced to purchase both versions to get the full picture of what’s available.

Dune: Part Two is a cinematic achievement and a huge box-office success, and it looks like that will only continue as the film moves into homes. But considering that it will also be streaming on Max in spring 2024, it may be worth considering just what’s more important to your viewing experience — bonus features or unequivocally owning the media.

Dune: Part Two is now available to rent or buy on digital platforms.