'Dune: The Experience' Opens in L.A. With Real Props and a $250 VIP Package

Warner Bros. and Legendary Entertainment will open "Dune: The Experience" in downtown Los Angeles on Nov. 20, a ticketed walkthrough with original props, a full-scale ornithopter and a $250 VIP package. The attraction runs through Dec. 20 at 330 S. Alameda St. — two days before "Dune: Part Three" reaches theaters on Dec. 18.

Tickets start at $31.50. A $67 deluxe option adds flexible entry, a branded water bottle and a tote bag. The top-tier $250 package lets visitors step inside the original ornithopter used in the films, and includes a digital photo package, a printed keepsake and parking.

Fans will not have to wait until December to return to Arrakis. The hourlong experience, produced with the entertainment platform Fever, recreates the desert planet of Arrakis and the imperial throne room from Denis Villeneuve's films, and lets visitors take the Bene Gesserit test, decipher hidden Fremen messages and come face-to-face with a colossal sandworm.

What can visitors actually see and do?

The attraction stages several of the franchise's most recognizable settings, alongside a collection of original costumes, weapons, props and production artifacts drawn from across Villeneuve's trilogy — including the full-scale ornithopter.

• Sit on Paul Atreides' throne and the Emperor's throne
• Take the Bene Gesserit test
• Decipher hidden Fremen messages
• Encounter a giant sandworm
• Recreate moments from the films' promotional posters
• Browse exclusive collectibles at a merchandise shop
• Eat and drink at a themed dining lounge with franchise-inspired offerings

The design leans heavily on photo opportunities. Guests can pose on thrones, restage poster imagery and leave with printed keepsakes depending on their ticket tier.

What does this change for the franchise's rollout?

The attraction is the latest attempt to turn a major Hollywood property into a ticketed, real-world experience, and in this case it capitalizes on anticipation for one of the year's biggest theatrical releases. It keeps the franchise in front of audiences during the final stretch of the marketing campaign for "Dune: Part Three," which Villeneuve directed from a screenplay co-written with Brian K. Vaughan and which concludes his adaptation of Frank Herbert's science-fiction saga.

It also generates revenue from a property whose appeal now extends well beyond the multiplex, monetizing fan demand in the weeks before the film's release rather than after it.

Tickets are available through Fever, with the attraction scheduled to run Nov. 20 through Dec. 20 in Los Angeles. Additional cities are expected to be announced, signaling that Warner Bros. and Legendary view the format as expandable rather than a one-off promotional stunt.