“Interstellar” topped the Wednesday box office with $1.4 million from a limited number of locations.

The Christopher Nolan science fiction film is on pace to pick up roughly $55 million this weekend despite stiff competition from Disney’s “Big Hero 6,” which is also on track for a debut in that range. Analysts expect that the family film will ultimately edge out “Interstellar” and could do closer to $60 million when final numbers are tallied. Both films cost $165 million to produce and a small nation’s GDP to market.

For the Tuesday through Sunday period, “Interstellar” should pull in roughly $58 million.

Paramount Pictures, which is distributing the film domestically, released the science-fiction epic in 249 theaters at mid-week, 42 of which are Imax screens. These locations highlight film projection, which Nolan says provides the best visual experience for his work. Imax accounted for 62% of the hump day grosses.

“Interstellar” will expand this weekend to 3,500 locations, 369 of which will be in Imax. Warner Bros. is handling the foreign roll out and will debut the film in most major foreign territories, with the exception of Venezuela, China and Japan.

The film stars Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain.

Overseas, “Interstellar” opened in French speaking markets and grossed $743,000 on 750 screens in France.