‘Dunkirk’ conquers China’s box office

The World War II rescue tale “Dunkirk” dominated the box office in China last week, building on its international success.

The acclaimed war epic from “Dark Knight” filmmaker Christopher Nolan grossed about $30 million in ticket sales in its first three days, according to film consulting firm Artisan Gateway.

The hit film from Warner Bros. — which chronicles the rescue attempt of Allied soldiers stranded on the beaches of Dunkirk, France — has generated $461.5 million worldwide since its debut in July.

Sweeping action films, especially movies such as “Dunkirk” that are filmed in the Imax format, tend to do well in China.

Nonetheless, Chinese audiences appeared divided on the film, which got strong reviews in the U.S. Some criticized it online for the lack of explosives; others praised the narrative and storytelling.

Luc Besson’s sci-fi fantasy “Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets” managed a close $28.6 million in ticket sales, bringing its 10-day total to $57.9 million.

The homegrown film “Wolf Warrior 2” slid to third place in its seventh week in China. It grossed $26 million and extended an all-time record to $843.6 million, making it the highest-earning film in Chinese history.

The Hong Kong crime film “Paradox” earned $9.5 million at the box office, bringing its total to $76.4 million after 18 days on the screen.

Japanese action comedy “Gintama” opened with $9.2 million in three days. The film is an adaptation of the Japanese manga and anime series popular across Asia.

Zhang is a special correspondent.