All of the hype translates into some impressive opening numbers for both Barbie and Oppenheimer…
It’s been fun to see films right back in the middle of the zeitgeist these past couple of weeks with the dual release of Oppenheimer and Barbie seemingly making the cinema a must-go destination and in a world of endless distractions, placing the movies squarely in the centre of the cultural conversation.
Happily, it seems to have paid off for both films too. Deadline is reporting that combined, last weekend’s two big films have earned an incredible $511m at the global box office over this past weekend. According to the outlet, ‘never before in the history of Hollywood movies have two films opened to $100M+ (Barbie) and $50M (Oppenheimer) at the US box office.’
That’s not the only box office record to tumble either.
Barbie has the largest US opening of the year, toppling The Super Mario Bros. Movie, along with being the largest opening by a female director in the US. The film is the largest global launch for Greta Gerwig, Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling.
Oppenheimer is no slouch either. It marks ‘Christopher Nolan’s third-highest grossing opening weekend ever, both global and domestic, after The Dark Knight Rises ($249M, $161M ) and The Dark Knight ($198M, $158M).’ It’s also the director’s biggest ever international release behind The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises.
Overall, as of yesterday, Barbie totted up a $337m global haul, while Universal’s Oppenheimer did $174m around the world. That’s smashed expectations for both films and is great news for cinemas at a time when they really need it, amid fresh uncertainty over the potential impact of the strikes in Hollywood.
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