Christopher Nolan’s widely acclaimed Dunkirk has competition at the North American box office from a movie set inside a smartphone. The animated production The Emoji Movie is expected to give a tough contest to Dunkirk this weekend despite getting a six per cent Rotten Tomatoes rating from 35 reviews.

The Emoji Movie. Image credit: Rotten Tomatoes.

Until Thursday, Nolan’s World War II drama had made $74.3 million at the US box office and was expected to cross the $100-million mark by the end of the second weekend. Globally, it had a $105.9 million opening and emerged as the number one movie in most major markets.

Meanwhile, despite scathing reviews, The Emoji Movie is estimated to earn $28 million at the US box office in its first week. While The Verge reviewer said that the film made her want to die, Eric D Snider wrote that hating The Emoji Movie is not only easy but also “fun, necessary and appropriate”. Set inside a smartphone and featuring the journey of a multi-expression emoji, the movie is scheduled for an August 11 release in India.

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The Emoji Movie.