Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” had the best opening weekend of 2023 and the biggest domestic launch for a female director thanks to its stunning $155 million in ticket sales.
The release of Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” and “Barbie,” collectively called “Barbenheimer,” has become a pop cultural phenomenon and may help the floundering film industry.
Barbie and Oppenheimer’s Phenomenal Opening Weekend
Sunday’s total of $302 million earned Barbenheimer the fourth-highest weekend total in the industry in North America. On Monday, when the final figures are released, analysts anticipate a significant increase.
‘Oppenheimer’ debuted at $80.5 million domestically over the weekend, placing second to ‘Barbie’, according to Comscore.
According to senior media analyst at Comscore Paul Dergarabedian, both films more than doubled expectations from a few weeks ago.
According to Dergarabedian, it is uncommon for not only two films to perform this well, but also for them to support one another in the Barbenheimer trend.
‘Barbie,’ which also included the Thursday pre-shows, made $70.5 million on Friday in North American theaters.
The film had the highest domestic opening for a female director. The movie “Wonder Woman” from 2017, which was directed by Patty Jenkins and earned roughly $38 million domestically on opening day, serves as the most comparable example.
The movie Captain Marvel, which Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden co-directed, made roughly $62 million.
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Warner Bros’ Record-Breaking Movie
Warner Bros, a division of CNN’s parent company Warner Bros. Discovery, distributed “Barbie.”
‘Barbie’ preview screenings earned $22.3 million, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
The Mattel doll movie outperformed “Oppenheimer,” which brought in $33 million on Friday.
It’s a victory for director Christopher Nolan, surpassing several of his prior successes.
Inception made roughly $22 million on its opening day, and Dunkirk made $20 million, although it fell short of The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises’ opening day receipts.
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