Christopher Nolan’s latest film, the World War II epic Dunkirk, has been a huge hit with critics, and it’s also enjoyed a solid debut at the box office, with the film grossing $105.9 million around the world in its opening weekend.
Domestically, Dunkirk opened in top spot with $50.5 million, with the comedy Girls Trip taking second place with $30.4 million. The story of Operation Dynamo – the evacuation of over 300,000 Allied troops from the beaches of Dunkirk during World War II – also added a further $55.4 million from international markets.
SEE ALSO: Dunkirk: Its Greatness and Its Finest Moments
It wasn’t quite such a good weekend for Luc Besson’s Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets however, with the sci-fi epic grossing just $17 million in North America and a further $6.5 million from 16 international markets.
Valerian is both the most expensive independent movie and the most expensive non-U.S. movie ever made, with a price tag of around $180 million. However, Besson has previously said there was no financial risk with the film, as he’d already earned back 96% of the budget with distributor pre-sales. Still, he might want to take a break from his two sequel screenplays for a while until the international numbers are in…
Dunkirk features a cast that includes Nolan regulars Tom Hardy and Cillian Murphy alongside Mark Rylance, Kenneth Branagh, Harry Styles, Aneurin Barnard, Jack Lowden, James D’Arcy, Barry Keoghan, Tom Glynn-Carney and newcomer Fionn Whitehead.
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets is out now in the States and on August 2nd in the UK and features a cast that includes Dane DeHaan, Cara Delevingne, Clive Owen, Rihanna, Ethan Hawke, John Goodman, Herbie Hancock, Sam Spruell, Rutger Hauer, John Goodman, Elizabeth Debicki and Kris Wu.
Originally published July 23, 2017. Updated April 16, 2018.
