Sony

Columbia/MRC’s “The Dark Tower” will take first place at a quiet box office, reaching Sony’s pre-weekend projections with an opening total of $19.5 million from 3,450 screens but taking the lowest weekend total for any No. 1 movie this year. Independent trackers had the $60 million film making $21-24 million.

This result means that the best opening weekend for a movie based on a Stephen King novel (unadjusted for inflation) is still MGM’s “1408” starring John Cusack, which made a $20.6 million opening in 2007. However, Village Roadshow’s remake of “It” will have a strong chance of beating that record when it hits theaters next month, as its trailers have been met with strong word of mouth. The same can’t be said for “The Dark Tower,” which earned a B on CinemaScore and 18 percent from Rotten Tomatoes.

Also Read: Every Stephen King Easter Egg in 'The Dark Tower' (Photos)

In a close second this weekend is Warner Bros.’ “Dunkirk,” which passed the $300 million mark worldwide Saturday and will register $17.6 million in its third weekend in the U.S. to bring its domestic total to $133.5 million. Meanwhile, another WB film, the summer champion “Wonder Woman,” will reach $400 million domestic on Monday after adding $2.3 million in its tenth weekend. The film is also nearing $800 million worldwide with its release in Japan coming Aug. 25.

Finishing in fifth is Aviron Pictures’ new release “Kidnap,” making an estimated $10.2 million this weekend from 2,378 screens and receiving a B+ from CinemaScore and a 41 percent RT rating. The other new wide release out this weekend is Annapurna’s critically-acclaimed “Detroit,” which finished a disappointing eighth with $7.25 million this weekend. Annapurna, who is making its first foray into distribution with this release, will be looking to rebound from word-of-mouth among older audiences, who are more likely to see movies several weeks after their release. “Detroit” has received immense praise from people who have seen the film, with an 88 percent RT score and an A- from CinemaScore.

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In between “Dunkirk” and “Kidnap” in the top 5 this weekend are “The Emoji Movie,” which made $12.3 million this weekend for a 50 percent drop from its $25 million opening, and “Girls Trip,” which made $11.4 million to bring its domestic total to $85.4 million. In sixth place is “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” which has a domestic total of $295 million after making $8.8 million in its fifth weekend and will cross the $300 million mark this coming week.

All 10 Christopher Nolan Movies Ranked, From 'Memento' to 'Dunkirk' (Photos)

Director Christopher Nolan has become well-known for blasting audiences’ brains with mind-bending, over-the-top spectacles. His latest, “Dunkirk,” is capturing critical acclaim — but how does it stack up to his other efforts? Here's TheWrap's definitive ranked list of his movies.
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10. "The Dark Knight Rises" (2012)

That you can’t understand a damn thing Bane says is the least of this movie’s problems. It’s heavy social politics and bleak ideologies of hope in the modern day are a drag for a superhero movie, and Nolan’s twists and parables strain credulity.
Warner Bros.
9. "Interstellar" (2014)

On the trajectory of Nolan movies getting more and more bogged down in their complications, “Interstellar” is probably the pinnacle. It has its poignant moments — Matthew McConaughey’s despair-wracked sobs are pretty unforgettable — but gets lost in time travel, temporal displacement, global warming, interpersonal drama and a weird sometimes-documentary style. None of the ideas gets the right amount of attention and the whole thing is a bit of a mess.
Paramount
8. "Insomnia" (2002)

It's really the performances this remake of a Norwegian film work. Robin Williams delivers some of the best dramatic work of his career as the primary suspect in the murder of a teenage girl in an Alaska town. It’s more of a mid-budget stepping stone ahead of "Batman Begins," but Al Pacino slowly losing his grip on reality ratchets up the tension.
Warner Bros.
7. "Following" (1998)

Many have labeled “Following” as just a student film. It’s better than that. Nolan's debut feature features his penchant for rules and brisk pacing. The story concerns a man who follows people around and becomes protege of a petty house thief (who shares a name with an "Inception" character, Cobb). And this Cobb has philosophies about creating chaos that are a dry run for The Joker’s craving to watch the world burn.
Zeitgeist Films
6. "Inception" (2010)

This is Nolan’s “Vertigo,” a movie that combines everything that has defined his career into one ambitious opus. He takes the world of dreams and applies his signature rules and rigid structure into a bombastic, mind-bending thriller that's sometimes awe-inspiring and sometimes maddeningly exhausting with its exposition.
Warner Bros.
5. "Batman Begins" (2005)

Nolan reinvigorated the onscreen character of Batman with a more intimate look at Bruce Wayne’s origins. The more serious take on the hero. Thanks to Nolan’s focus on a man figuring out how to be a symbol rather than just punching bad guys, he helped make “Batman Begins” a template for superhero movies hoping to be more realistic and less cartoonish. And having Liam Neeson in your movie doesn't hurt.
Warner Bros.
4. "Memento" (2000)

The movie that first really started to tip people off to Nolan is a noir-esque mystery told in reverse, with Guy Pearce's detective unable to form new short-term memories. The movie’s construction keeps the audience as confused as protagonist Leonard, but once it all comes together, the frightening story of how people manipulate each other, and themselves, blows minds in the best way.
Newmarket Films
3. "The Prestige" (2006)

Michael Caine’s three rules in “The Prestige” could also define Nolan’s filmmaking. Above all, Nolan is a showman who stages something elaborate and magical and then wants to show you how it’s done. Fittingly, “The Prestige” is Nolan’s most twist-filled and rewatchable film.
Warner Bros.
2. "The Dark Knight" (2008)

It’s bolstered by Heath Ledger’s otherworldly, swan song of a performance, but “The Dark Knight” redefined grizzly, post-9/11 neo-noir. Its twists, moral choices and provocative themes on heroism upped the games for superhero movies and blockbusters for all time.
Warner Bros.
1. "Dunkirk" (2017)

Nolan’s sprawling WWII epic is quite possibly his simplest movie. Despite its enormous scale and running three tales in parallel with some non-linear storytelling, the minimal use of dialogue and powerful performances makes “Dunkirk” incredibly tense and human. It's a different kind of war movie -- and Nolan accomplishes a lot by holding back (some) of his usual complexity.
Warner Bros.

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Where does auteur’s new WWII drama land?

Director Christopher Nolan has become well-known for blasting audiences’ brains with mind-bending, over-the-top spectacles. His latest, “Dunkirk,” is capturing critical acclaim — but how does it stack up to his other efforts? Here's TheWrap's definitive ranked list of his movies.

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