Christopher Nolan's 'Dunkirk' Battles to $5.5 Million at Thursday Box Office

Christopher Nolan’s “Dunkirk” earned $5.5 million at the Thursday box office, with $1.6 million coming from 402 IMAX locations.

“Dunkirk” was pegged by independent trackers for an opening weekend in the range of $30-40 million, with Warner Bros.’ projections on the upper end of that range.

“Dunkirk” has enjoyed social media buzz that no other film of its kind has received thanks to an unexpected periphery demographic: One Direction fans. According to comScore’s PreAct social media charts, “Dunkirk” has been one of the top 3 most talked about upcoming releases for each of the past three weeks, sharing the top spots with intensely hyped franchise staples like “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” “Spider-Man: Homecoming” and “Avengers: Infinity War.” To date, “Dunkirk” has accumulated 1.35 million social media conversations on PreAct, making it the only summer movie outside of “Wonder Woman” and Disney-related IP to score over 1 million conversations on the system.

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“Dunkirk” tells the story of the Dunkirk Evacuation, a famous moment from the early stages of World War II in which over 300,000 Allied soldiers were rescued after being surrounded by Nazi forces in Frances. Nolan is writer-director on the film, and produced it with his wife, Emma Thomas. The film’s cast includes Fionn Whitehead, Tom Hardy, Mark Rylance, Harry Styles, Kenneth Branagh, and Cillian Murphy.

EuropaCorp’s “Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets” grossed $1.7 million from approximately 2,600 theaters on Thursday. In comparison, 2015’s “Jupiter Ascending” earned $1 million in previews and went on to earn $18 million its opening weekend.

Going into the weekend, projections had the film making $18-22 million in its opening weekend against a reported $150 million budget. That means the film will need a strong performance from Europe, where the graphic novel the film is adapted from, “Valerian and Laureline,” is more well-known.

“Valerian” stars Dane DeHaan and Cara Delevingne as a pair of 28th century intergalactic agents tasked with investigating a crisis that is threatening the City of a Thousand Planets, a massive space colony that was once the International Space Station and has since moved out into space and become a cultural exchange for thousands of alien species. Their adventure leads them to uncover a conspiracy that reaches the highest levels of their organization. The film also stars Clive Owen, Sam Spruell, Kris Wu, Ethan Hawke, Herbie Hancock, and Rihanna. Besson wrote and directed the film, as well as co-produced it with his wife, Virginie Besson-Silla.

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Universal Pictures’ “Girls Trip” also earned $1.7 million in previews on Thursday night from 2,195 theaters.

This number is significantly better than the preview performance of Scarlett Johansson’s “Rough Night,” which, similarly to “Girls Trip,” focused on a group of friends going on a vacation. “Rough Night” hit theaters one month ago and earned $700,000 in previews.

“Girls Trip” stars Regina Hall, Jada Pinkett Smith, Queen Latifah, Tiffany Haddish as four lifelong friends who bond on a trip to New Orleans filled with both tender moments and wild partying. Malcolm D. Lee directed the film from a script by Kenya Barris and Tracy Oliver, and produced the film with Will Packer.

17 Movies We're Dying to See in 2017, From 'Beauty and the Beast' to 'Dunkirk'

Scan TheWrap's list of our most anticipated movies of the upcoming year
March 10: "Kong: Skull Island"

The new iteration of the ginormous ape boasts a stellar cast of Brie Larson, Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, John Goodman, John C. Reilly and Jason Mitchell. And the trailers have looked stunning (and terrifying) so far.

Warner Bros.
March 17: "Beauty and the Beast"

Yes, Disney is producing a lot of live-action version of their original IP, but after the success of "The Jungle Book" last year, we can't wait for this one. Also, Emma Watson is the perfect Belle and, based on what we've seen from trailers, it will be magical.
Disney
April 14: "The Fate of the Furious"

Who doesn't love a good ol' "Fast and the Furious" movie? However, this one will mark the first full movie without Paul Walker, who was included in the last film through CGI.
Universal
May 3: "Logan"

"Logan" will be Hugh Jackman's final performance as the famous "X-Men" character, which many call the best character in the franchise. It is also a coveted role that has defined Jackman's career for 20 years. But "Logan" will offer a new twist on the franchise -- Logan is older, and his powers are fading.
Fox
May 5: "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2"

The first "Guardians" film was well-received both critically and commercially, so it's about time Marvel fans are treated to a sequel. And Baby Groot has already cozied up to fans everywhere.
Disney
May 26: "Baywatch"

Many are curious to see how a movie adaptation of the classic TV series will turn out -- but with a sexy cast and alums like David Hasselhoff and Pamela Anderson returning, we think it might be worth waiting for.
June 2: "Wonder Woman"

Come on, Gal Gadot in a movie that exemplifies female empowerment? We're in! The trailers have been epic so far, and DC fans desperately need a pick-me-up after many were disappointed with "Suicide Squad" and "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice."
Warner Bros.
July 21: "Dunkirk"

Christopher Nolan's WWII drama has been on people's radar for a while now, and the film will draw in younger fans with its casting of Harry Styles. The movie boasts a great ensemble, comprised of Tom Hardy, Mark Rylance, Cillian Murphy and James D'Arcy.
Warner Bros.
July 28: "The Dark Tower"

Enough of Stephen King's novels have been adapted into film to know that "The Dark Tower" will be great. Idris Elba is set to play The Gunslinger, while Matthew McConaughey will star as The Man in Black.
Getty Images
August 11: "Baby Driver"

Edgar Wright is a great writer/director, having directed "Shaun of the Dead" and written screenplays for movies like "Ant-Man." Starring Jon Hamm, Kevin Spacey, Jamie Foxx and Ansel Elgort, "Baby Driver" looks like a solid action thriller.
Getty Images
October 6: "Blade Runner 2049"

Fans of the original "Blade Runner" had to wait 35 years for a sequel, and it comes with the return of Harrison Ford and the addition of Ryan Gosling -- and it's set way in the future.
Warner Bros.
November: "Bad Moms Christmas"

"Bad Moms" delivered one of the most hilarious scenes in a comedy this year (yes, we're talking about the grocery store one) so we're excited about the prospect of another movie featuring the Mila Kunis-Kathryn Hahn-Kristen Bell trifecta.
STX
Nov. 22: "Murder on the Orient Express"

An awesome cast including Daisy Ridley, Johnny Depp, Judi Dench and Michael Pena will star in the remake of the 1974 film, based on Agatha Christie's famous novel.
December 15: "Star Wars: Episode VIII"

Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) is set to return in the eighth movie, which will also mark Carrie Fisher's last performance as Princess Leia after her untimely death in December. And it's "Star Wars," so of course we're excited!
Disney
Dec 25: "The Greatest Showman"

For fans of P.T. Barnum or anything circus-related, "The Greatest Showman" will be the biographical drama to look out for in 2017. And for fans already deprived of Hugh Jackman as Wolverine... well, he's in this movie!
Getty Images
2017: "Mother"

"Black Swan" and "Requiem for a Dream" director Darren Aronofsky helms this movie with his girlfriend Jennifer Lawrence starring. It's about a couple whose tranquil life gets disrupted when guests arrive at their home uninvited.
Getty Images
2017: "Paul Thomas Anderson Untitled Fashion Project"

Movie buffs love seeing any new project by Paul Thomas Anderson. The plot is unknown, but it's described as a drama in London's fashion world in the 1950s. Daniel Day-Lewis stars.
Getty Images