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.
