The holiday season is usually a competitive one for the box office, with studios saving big titles to capture as much attendance as possible. This upcoming Christmas will be no stranger to the concept, but rather will feature the highly anticipated showdown of Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Part Three. 

Both Doomsday and Dune: Part Three are major coming tentpoles that many eyes will be on. The stakes are high for both films, as Doomsday follows the X-Men and Avengers taking on Doctor Doom for the fate of the universe, while Dune follows the reign of Paul Atreides over Arrakis as his rule is threatened. Both films are gearing up to be huge events for sci-fi films, especially after marketing began for both projects. 

Both coming out on the same day, however, is going to make for an outcome that some aren’t looking forward to. There was speculation that one would move to accommodate for the other, especially considering how both franchises are big draws for Dolby, IMAX, and other premium formats, Hollywood Reporter noted that there is now no sign of either one shifting dates. Bear in mind that Dune, however, was able to lock in IMAX screens for the first few weeks of circulation. 

The comparisons to Barbenheimer, the iconic double-event release of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie and Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, have been prevalent, but the case here isn’t quite the same. Hollywood Reporter also noted that Barbenheimer’s popularity came from the stark difference between Barbie and Oppenheimer, with the two being as different as could be. Even down to the demographics, where both Dune and Avengers share a similar clientele. 

“That’s a level of overwhelm that doesn’t make sense. Especially after the last few years [of theaters struggling]. An Avengers movie and Dune 3 are both sure things,” one theater representative had to say over the competing films to capture the same audience. 

Both Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Part Three hit theaters December 18th.