‘Dunkirk’ Takes Box Office By Storm With $55.4M No. 1 Spot For $105M+ Global Opening; ‘Valerian’ $23.5M Start – Int’l Box Office
Christopher Nolan’s WWII epic Dunkirk dominated both international and domestic marketplaces this weekend, with an overseas take of $55.4M for distributor Warner Bros. The film, which chronicles the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force and Allied troops from the French seaport of Dunkerque as they battled the Nazis, opened in 46 international markets this weekend and was on Imax in 42 of those markets with a handful of 70mm engagements on its overall 10,775 screens.
EuropaCorp.’s Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets bombed stateside with only $17M in three days; the film is just beginning its international run. With $6.5M from 16 markets — (comScore is reporting that $3.9M came from eight markets and EuropaCorp. is reporting the full $6.5M from 16), Germany was the only major market to open this weekendm and that opening was noted as higher than Alien: Covenant and 50% bigger than Pacific Rim. However, it grossed $2.9M in Germany to take the No. 2 spot behind the third weekend of Despicable Me 3 ($3.6M).
It’s going to have to do phenomenal business to overcome the dismal North American opening. The big-budget sci-fi film from Luc Besson has yet to open in the majority of its international territories, including the top markets of France, China, South Korea, the U.K., Russia, Mexico and Brazil. So far, globally (and it is basically DOA in the States), it has grossed $23.5M. In the 16 markets, it opened to No. 1 in Thailand, the Philippines, Romania and Hungary.
Meanwhile, Disney notes that its Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales — with an estimated gross of $596.6M — has become the highest-grossing title of the Pirates franchise internationally (when looking at all at today’s foreign-exchange rates), passing Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, which grossed $593.4M at current rates.
Related‘Dunkirk’ Review: Christopher Nolan Makes A Film About War That Hitchcock Would Have Loved
DUNKIRK
But back to the big opener: Dunkirk, which garnered high praise from both critics and audiences alike, opened initially in France to a strong $2.2M (including previews) and went on to make $4.9M in the market (13% of the total admissions came from eight Imax and three 70mm screens). The studio began its rollout in France because Nolan actually shot the film in Dunkerque, where all the action took place 77 years ago. It also heralded the film in by having a premiere screening earlier and then previews.
But the film, which looks like it rose to No. 1 in all markets that it opened in had its biggest bow (not surprisingly) in the U.K. market with $12.4M, which marks the third-biggest opening for the director behind his two Dark Knight movies. Dunkirk has been the biggest opening so far this year in the territory on Imax, where the big-screen epic managed a 14% share from those screens. The studio rolled out the red carpet in the U.K. for a premiere that brought in all the stars and the man of the moment: Christopher Nolan. It didn’t hurt that boy-band heartthrob Harry Styles from One Direction is in the film and is a favorite in the U.K.
“We did exceptionally well,” said Imax CEO Greg Foster. “Christopher Nolan created it for Imax and filmed it for Imax. He is the most prepared professional that we’ve ever worked with, and the fact that he is also an artist is unusual. It’s phenomenal to exceed expectations like this. I think the one-two punch of his vision and the Imax experience has shown to be irresistible to moviegoers. When something feels like a theatrical experience, they will see it in a movie theater.” The BFI theater in the U.K. was the top Imax in the territory.
On 232 Imax screens, the film grossed over $7M with a strong per-screen average of almost $31K, and ranks as the third-highest-grossing Imax opening weekend ever in July, both internationally and globally. India enjoyed their biggest Imax opening weekend ever, with the UK logging its third-biggest 2D opening ever in the country.
The overall performance of Dunkirk around the world showed a very strong bump from Friday to Saturday, which bodes well for the strong word-of-mouth that should accompany this film. There has been some question as whether releasing this movie in the summer rather than in the fall would impact its Oscar hopes, but it seems that this film has no chance of being forgotten.
In Korea, where Warner Bros. prepared for the opening by re-releasing Nolan’s 2008 Dark Knight movie to build participation for another of the director’s movies, Dunkirk commanded a 55% share of the Top 5 films in the market, with an excellent $10.3M from 1,252 screens. Those opening-weekend results did not top 2014’s Interstellar but did top other comps Gravity (2013) and American Sniper.(2104).
In the Asian markets, the British-French war film collectively packed in a big $18.6M, more than tripling that of American Sniper and besting comps Inception (by 19%) and Gravity (by 30%). Nolan’s movies, however, tend to consistently play well in Asian markets as he continues to deliver quality films.
Market by market, France, as we said, grossed a strong $4.9M with 660K admissions on 668 screens, coming in on par with the opening weekend gross for comp Interstellar.
Australia opened to a very strong $4.7M on 535 screens, dominating the country with a 54% share of the Top 5 films. The studio outperformed almost all comps, the only exception being Inception.
Russia marched in with an estimated $2.7M from its 2,119 screens, grabbing nearly 40% of the Top 5 films at the box office and performing well ahead of American Sniper.
India debuted to $2.4M on 417 screens, ranking as the No. 1 foreign film in the market and No. 2 behind a local offering. Dunkirk, however, outgrossed all comps and now sits as the second-biggest opening for a Nolan film (behind 2012’s The Dark Knight Rises). For Imax, it was the biggest debut ever in the country.
Spain grossed $1.9M from 401 screens, on par with the opening weekend of Gravity. It also had the best per-screen average of any film in the marketplace.
Holland took in a very nice $1.4M on 130 screens with 46% share of the Top 5 films in the market. Those results means that it outdid all comps and comes in as the No. 2 opening weekend ever for Nolan film (behind The Dark Knight Rises. Of that, Imax was responsible for 20% of the films gross, and that came from only six of the company’s screens.
Next markets up for Dunkirk will be Germany, Brazil and Mexico next weekend, followed by Italy (August 31), China (September 1) and Japan (September 9).
Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie
This animated film for the little ones from 20th Century Fox began its first openings this weekend in eight markets and brought in $1.1M from the small first run. The film only had opened in Israel prior and dropped just 28% in its second weekend. It will head into the U.K. tomorrow in hopes of capitalizing on the full school holidays there before releasing into the next key market of Mexico on August 10. So far, it has debuted in Poland, Chile and South Africa. Its total international total right now is $10M.
HOLDOVERS
DESPICABLE ME 3
Illumination Entertainment’s animated family threequel has been doing gangbuster business and this weekend crossed $700M globally after collecting another better than expected $50.5M (up from the $47.5M estimated yesterday) in its 63 territories. Internationally, that brings up its cume to $514.1M and combined with domestic, that puts Gru and the yellow guys at $213.6M for a worldwide total of $732.5M. The film is No. 2 at the international box office behind Dunkirk this weekend.
The key opening this weekend for Despicable Me 3 was in Japan, where it debuted Friday to No. 1 and then ended the weekend with an estimated $6.7M (¥751M). That’s higher than the two previous Despicable Me films and slightly below Minions’ opening weekend in 2015 (¥737M), which took place in the middle of school holidays. Friday was the last school day before summer holidays in most areas.
In holdover markets, China is steady at No. 4 behind three local films this weekend. The weekend estimate is $9.7M for a total of $135.8M. It is already the fourth-highest-grossing animated film of all time in China and the No. 2 non-Chinese animated film behind Zootopia ($235M).
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Also holding strong is Argentina and Uruguay, where the film is No. 1 for the fourth weekend in a row and ahead of the opening of Transformers: The Last Knight in both.
Germany is holding No. 1 for the third week in a row with $3.6M and ahead of the opening of Valerian (ouch!), but that certainly will change when Dunkirk arrives on its shores next weekend. Germany’s cume to date is $24.4M.
While Dunkirk was No. 1, Despicable Me 3 was No. 2 in the U.K. and Ireland in its fourth weekend of release. The film grossed another nice $4M for a total to date of $39.2M there. And the film is well poised to take advantage of the full school holidays in the U.K. this week.
Other key totals include Mexico ($31.7M), Brazil ($31.5M), France ($26.2M), Australia ($23.9M), Russia ($23M), Argentina ($19.3M) and Spain ($17.8M).
Universal Pictures International will release the movie into five more territories over the next month, including Korea on July 26 and Italy Aug. 24.
SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING
Sony and Marvel’s superhero is still swinging abroad and unmasked another $33.2M from 14,500-plus screens. Playing in 64 markets, its estimated cume sits at $320M. The highlights are that Latin America set a franchise record for the region as the highest-grossing Spider-Man film of all-time in its third weekend of release. It’s only off 49% in the third frame and adds another $8.2M to its regional cume of $77.4M. The top market for the Jon Watts-directed film? It’s Brazil, which grossed another $3.3M to raise its cume there to $25.7M, while Mexico added $1.7M for a total of cume in the market of $24.1M.
Globally, this Peter Parker has picked a peck of $571.7M to date.
In South Korea, Spider-Man: Homecoming is the 10th-highest-grossing international release of all time. This weekend the pic added $4.4M in its third frame to raise its cume there to $48.7M.
Western Europe also held strong, down only 47% to earn another $10.4M for a total cume of $66M. Major markets? Well, France generated $3.1M in its sophomore weekend to bring the cume to $10.9M. The U.K. snagged $2.8M in its third weekend of release (off 43%) to bring the cume up to $27.3M, while Germany dropped 49% to gross another $1.9M for a local cume of $6.7M.
The next key markets to release will be Spain, Japan, and the all-important China.
TRANSFORMERS: THE LAST KNIGHT
Adding another $24.9M this weekend from 62 markets, the latest Transformers pic had 14 new openings and enjoyed a franchise best in six of those markets: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Paraguay and Venezuela. Mexico opened to No. 1 with $7.5M from its 765 locales to bring the film’s international cume up to $420.2M.
In Brazil, the Michael Bay-directed fifth in the franchise delivered $4.4M at 611 cinemas, a No. 1 market opening and logging the biggest opening in the Transformers franchise in the country. A No. 2 in Argentina garnered $2.3M for distributor Paramount at 171 cinemas: the biggest opening of the Transformers franchise and the biggest ever the for studio there.
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Meanwhile, it opened No. 1 across Panama ($2M from 200 sites), Peru ($1.4M from 95), Chile ($1.1M from 64) and in Colombia ($1.9M from 185), where it registered the biggest opening of the Transformers franchise.
In holdover activity, France delivered $516K at 634 cinemas in its fourth weekend to bring the local cume up to $10.5M. Germany’s fifth weekend added $484K from 379 sites to raise the local cume to $14.5M.
Major markets yet to release include Japan and Spain, which will both come on Aug. 4.
WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES
Led by decent holds in the U.K., Russia, Spain and Hong Kong, the latest in the 20th Century Fox franchise from director Matt Reeves and star Andy Serkis grossed another $17.1M this weekend to bring its international cume up to $77M. Globally, War for the Planet of the Apes has taken in roughly $174.8M to date.
The territory leading the charge in the movie’s sophomore frame is the U.K., which was No. 3 in the market behind opener Dunkirk and holdover Despicable Me 3. It picked up $3.48M from its 855 screens to bring the UK total to $16.2M. In Russia, Apes ranked No. 2, adding another $1.9M to bring the market cume to $8.9M. It’s on 1,318 screens there.
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In Spain, the franchise film was down only around 40% and was No. 2 in the market behind Dunkirk. Adding another $1.2M from 768 screens, the market total is $6.18M.
Next weekend will see the Apes swinging into five new markets including Australia and Mexico.
CARS 3
This animated family threequel from Pixar and Disney raced in with another $11.4M internationally this weekend from 32 (material) territories. The international cume now sits at $105.9M and has a global take of $249.9M so far with 57% of its markets opened.
The film has enjoyed strong holds in certain markets such as the Netherlands (-8%) and the U.K. (-38%) with full school holidays starting this week, which Disney is hoping will keep it revving. So far, it has cumed $6.6M in the U.K. In addition, it saw small drops in Argentina (-35%), where it has cumed $9.6M, and in Japan (-44%), where it has cumed $7.1M.
The top-performing markets so far are Mexico ($15.5M), Russia ($10.5M) and Australia ($9.6M).
There are four key markets yet to open: France (August 2), China (August 25), Italy (September 14) and Germany (September 28).
BABY DRIVER
The Sony-distributed, Edgar White-directed actioner drove in this weekend with $8.3M from 2,300-plus screens in 28 total markets. The film, produced by TriStar Pictures and MRC, rolled into 10 new markets, with France leading the way with $1.7M (including previews) from 300 screens. Malaysia also debuted with $620K (including previews) from 300 screens and a No. 2 spot in its country’s box office.
The international cume for Baby Driver now stands at $34.4M with 55% of the film’s footprint still to come, including Brazil and Germany on July 27), followed by Mexico (August 10), Russia (August 24) and the all-important territory of China (August 25).
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PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES
As we reported above, this Pirates has become the highest-grossing title internationally of all the Pirates franchise films for the Walt Disney Co. This weekend saw it passing On Stranger Tides‘ 2011 total of $593M (based on current exchange rates, per Disney). Collecting a booty of $5.1M — most of it from Japan — Dead Men now has an international cume of $596.6M and a worldwide take of $767.2M.
In Japan, the Jerry Bruckheimer/Johnny Depp/Javier Bardem combo sailed in with another $3.3M in its fourth weekend at sea dropping a mere 38% from the previous weekend and bringing its cume there to $42.9M in just 23 days of release.
The film, directed by Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg, this fifth installment of Pirates continues to hold strong in certain European markets, especially in France, Belgium, Sweden, Germany and the Netherlands. Outside of Japan, its greatest grosses have come from Russia ($40.6M cume), Germany ($30M), France ($28.3M), the U.K. ($25.1M), and Korea ($22.3M) with Brazil at $16.7M and Mexico at $16.6M.
BAYWATCH
Paramount Pictures’ Baywatch, which stars Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Zac Efron, dug up $3.5M in 48 markets and that included four new openings. The international cume stands at $111.7M. Of the new markets, Indonesia opened to No. 4 and grossed $685K at 200 locations, the United Arab Emirates opened to No. 3 to bring in $530K at 46 locations, and Portugal opened at $391K in 65 locations for a No. 2 seat at the table.
WONDER WOMAN
Hear her roar. Yes, this female superhero is still bringing it in, adding another $1.8M this weekend in 56 markets (roughly 1,900 screens) for Warner Bros. The international cume — dominated by China’s $89M total — is now $390.4M. The Gal Gadot-starring DC film directed by Patty Jenkins has grossed $779.4M globally.
Outside of China, the largest markets internationally for the female superhero is Brazil with a $33.3M cume, the U.K. ($27.8M), Australia ($23.1M), Mexico (422.5M), France (15.6M) and Korea ($15.5M).
Japan opens next on August 25.
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THE MUMMY
This Friday, Universal’s The Mummy will debut in its final market — Japan. Viturally all other territories have opened. There were no new openings this weekend, the Tom Cruise starrer did manage to wrangle another $1M from the 54 territories where it’s still playing. The international cume is now $313M. Combined with the lackluster performance stateside (only $79.4M), the global cume now stands at $392.5M.
The film’s top territory was far and above China with $91.5M. That is followed by Korea with $27.6M and Russia with $16.9M then Brazil ($14.2M) and Mexico ($13M). It has made $11.2M in the U.K. and Ireland to date.
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