Do you think 'Valerian' will have its release date changed?

I don't think so. Valerian is targeting more of a younger audience than Dunkirk, which is more geared towards adults.

Well, two things to consider:
1. Going against a Nolan film is still a massive risk, especially given that Warner Brothers is a lot bigger than STX.
2. I thought it would be better to move it to mid-August since the film would have a better chance of securing its IMAX release along with the fact that August is pretty much empty right now.

Biggest thing against Dunkirk is that it is a war movie, so that alone makes pitting Valerian against it a smart move. Very different kinds of audiences watch them.

Yeah, Dunkirk isn't part of a franchise, or even a sci-fi film, which tend to have bigger openings. And Big Hero 6 did quite well opening against Interstellar (another example of a film with a different audience).

As for IMAX, based on the runs given to Dark Knight Rises and Interstellar, I think IMAX plans on having Dunkirk play all the way till Inhumans in September, unless it turns out to be a box office disappointment.

I don't think Dunkirk is going to do as well as Interstellar or Inception. A WWII film is a much harder sell than high-concept sci-fi. I think it will open with about $40-45 million and close with about $160 million at the domestic box office.

As a result, I don't see why they would keep it all the way to September on IMAX screens. This is not The Dark Knight.

I think it should play on IMAX screens for two weeks. Then, the weekend of August 4, it should still play at least in the afternoon and evening, but maybe The Emoji Movie could have one or two early matinee shows on IMAX screens too. The next weekend (August 11,) I'm thinking Baby Driver should take most IMAX screens, but the 70mm ones should still keep Dunkirk and keep it through the end of August.

Valerian looks like Sucker Punch meets Pluto Nash.

My instincts make me feel like Dunkirk will come out on top.

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