The Barbie film triumphs in US box office competition
Warner Bros. announced that the Barbie film has become the biggest film of the year so far in the US and Canada, grossing an estimated $155 million during its opening weekend. Similarly, Universal Pictures reported that the new release Oppenheimer, also out on Friday, made $93.7 million in the US. These successful openings come at a time when cinemas are facing challenges due to competition from streaming services.
In the UK, both films led to Vue, a cinema chain with 91 locations throughout the UK and Ireland, experiencing its busiest weekend in four years. Vue saw its second-biggest weekend in history by admissions, with the Barbie film on track to become the biggest film of 2023, surpassing Super Mario Bros. Half a million people went to Vue screens to watch these films, and Barbie had over 4,000 sold-out viewings across the UK and Ireland.
Oppenheimer’s plot revolves around the development of the first atomic bomb, featuring Cillian Murphy and directed by Christopher Nolan. On the other hand, Barbie tells the coming-of-age story of the iconic children’s character, exploring her identity and encouraging her friend Ken to embrace individuality.
Social media dubbed the competition between the two films “Barbenheimer.” Barbie, starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, surpassed the opening weekend ticket sales of Super Mario Bros., making it the biggest film of 2023 so far. Globally, Barbie’s debut raked in an impressive $337 million.
On Twitter, viewers praised Barbie, with one user describing it as a timeless masterpiece that reignited her interest in re-watching movies, emphasising that its ideas would endure over the years.
Before the films’ release, Odeon in the UK reported over 200,000 advance ticket sales, with an anticipated 10,000 filmgoers expected to watch both Barbie and Oppenheimer during the opening weekend.
Universal Pictures also noted Oppenheimer’s success, with earnings of £8.05 million in the UK and Ireland since Friday. It is projected to outperform Christopher Nolan’s other blockbuster films like Interstellar, Dunkirk, and Inception in their opening three days.
However, the premiere of Oppenheimer saw stars leave early due to strike action concerning grievances, including the encroachment of artificial intelligence in Hollywood film production and writing.
Internationally, Oppenheimer earned $93.7 million, bringing its global total to $174.2 million, according to Universal Pictures.
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