How Big a Hit Will 'Dunkirk' Be?
by EG
While Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk is expected to win this weekend's box-office battle, the big question is whether the critically acclaimed World War II epic can clear $40 million in its U.S. landing.
War dramas have never been known for big openings, although Nolan — the mastermind behind the blockbuster Dark Knight trilogy — is a powerful brand unto himself.
Warner Bros., Nolan's home studio, is projecting a domestic debut in the $35 million-$40 million range. Most box-office observers believe Dunkirk will come in on the higher end, while some think it has a shot of doing more, thanks to a current Rotten Tomatoes score of 97 percent. Also, many believe the film will have exceptionally strong legs.
Among other relatively recent World War II films, Angelina Jolie's Unbroken debuted to $30.6 million in December 2014, while Fury launched to $23.7 million in November of that same year. Last year, Mel Gibson's Hacksaw Ridge took in $15.2 million.
Read the rest of this article at The Hollywood Reporter.
Christopher Nolan has also directed Interstellar and Inception.