The sequel to Dune, “Dune: Part Two” is in theaters Friday. It’s been a relatively quiet start to 2024 in cinema. After the big in-theater success of “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” last summer, the industry is banking on audiences wanting to go in person to see big deserts and big stars on big screens.

This weekend, you could see the dunes of “Dune” on the largest screen in Illinois, just outside of Chicago. 

“It’s the exact size of an NBA basketball court that’s basically hung on the wall,” said Anthony LaVerde, who leads Emagine Entertainment, which runs the theater with that gargantuan screen.

To further entice people, LaVerde says they’ll offer a “Dune”-themed cocktail. Maybe with a spice in it? Not melange.

It’s not the first time themed merch and beverages have been offered to capitalize on bigger releases. And the movie industry is prepping for people to show up, said Karie Bible, a media analyst for Exhibitor Relations.

“We haven’t had a blockbuster in many, many, many weeks,” she said. “And we need one.”

According to Comscore, domestic box office revenue is down 18% from where it was this time last year. “One of the big reasons is the writer’s strike and the actors strike because so many movies were delayed,” Bible said.

That said, people do want shared experiences and will go to the theater for them, per Emagine’s Anthony LaVerde. We just need more movies, he added.