Writer/director Christopher Nolan is no stranger to being at the top of the box office, and nearly three years after the release of Interstellar he's claimed that position once again with his new World War II epic Dunkirk. Check out the full chart below!
While initial estimates had suggested that Dunkirk would only make about $40 million in its opening frame, the latest feature from Christopher Nolan managed to exceed expectations and pulled in a surprising $50.5 million in its first three days. There was question regarding whether or not American audiences would respond to a World War II movie set prior to the U.S.' involvement in the international conflict, but it seems that Nolan's reputation was enough to get butts into the seats. It's now ranked as the filmmaker's fourth biggest opening weekend, behind only The Dark Knight Rises ($160.8 million), The Dark Knight ($158.4 million), and Inception ($62.8 million).
While Christopher Nolan's name is arguably a strong brand all by itself, Dunkirk's victory is significant because it's the first non-franchise title to take the number one spot at the box office this summer. The blockbuster season so far has been dominated by titles like Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Wonder Woman, Spider-Man: Homecoming, and Despicable Me 3, the new Nolan movie didn't have any of that kind of competition in its opening, and is now well on its way to justifying its $150 million budget (it's already made $107.4 million globally).
Dunkirk, however, wasn't the only big surprise win at the box office this weekend, as Malcolm D. Lee's Girls Trip put up some significant numbers as well. Made for just $19 million, the comedy starring Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett Smith, Regina Hall and Tiffany Haddish pulled in an impressive $31.2 million for the number two slot. The movie got a lot of love from critics (it's currently sporting an 88% on Rotten Tomatoes), and the numbers look even better when compared to Rough Night -- the other female-led R-rated comedy that was released earlier this summer (which to date has only made $37.1 million globally).
Unfortunately, it wasn't all big wins at the box office this weekend, as Luc Besson's Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets wound up being a serious disappointment. The sci-fi blockbuster, which is the most expensive French production of all time and was divisive among critics, opened at number five this weekend and only managed to make $17 million. This is pretty bad when you consider that it was made for $177.2 million, though its numbers should rise once it starts coming out in foreign markets.
Lastly, it should be recognized that the Summer 2017 Box Office Crown has also changed ownership domestically. James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 was at the top of the stack from the very beginning of the season, and has made an impressive $387.3 in 12 weeks, but now Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman has stolen its title. Making an additional $4.6 million this weekend, the Gal Gadot-led blockbuster has now pushed its U.S. total to $389 million, and is expected to still be ranked number one by the time summer comes to an end next month.
Next weekend will see another eclectic group of releases hit theaters, with the R-rated actioner Atomic Blonde, and the animated Emoji Movie being the two newest wide releases of the summer. How will they perform? Come back next week and find out!
