Barbie Film Breaks Box-Office Records, Surpasses $1B Globally
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Barbie continues to dominate the box office, surpassing $1 billion globally and breaking records along the way. Director Greta Gerwig’s phenomenal film has remained the number one movie in its fourth week, earning an impressive $33.7 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.
This Margot Robbie-led and produced film from Warner Bros. has defied expectations by refusing to drop off like most box-office hits. It has already crossed the $500 million mark in North America, making it the highest-grossing film for a female director.
The second half of the Barbenheimer duo, Oppenheimer, has returned to the number two spot in its fourth week after slipping to number three overall. Directed by Christopher Nolan, this Universal Pictures film brought in $18.8 million, bringing its total domestic earnings to $264.3 million.
Despite facing limited competition, Barbie and Oppenheimer have proven to be a formidable box office force. The week’s only major wide release, Universal’s The Last Voyage of the Demeter, debuted at number five with $6.5 million in its opening weekend.
In its second week, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem earned $15.6 million domestically, securing the third spot on the charts. Meanwhile, the shark sequel Meg 2: The Trench dropped from second to fifth place in its second week, bringing in $12.7 million.
With a domestic total of $526.3 million and a global bankroll of $1.18 billion, Barbie is on track to become the top film of 2023. It currently sits in second place behind The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which earned $574.2 million in North America and $1.358 billion globally earlier this year. Furthermore, Barbie is now the second-highest grossing film in the history of Warner Bros., only surpassed by 2011’s Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.
The continued success of the Mattel movie is changing the narrative of a lackluster year at the box office, where major sequels like Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny and Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part I have underperformed. Nevertheless, Mission: Impossible remained in the top 10 this week with $4.7 million in earnings.
‘Barbie’ is as popular as ever. It has firmly secured the number one spot, and it doesn’t seem like it will be budging anytime soon, said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for Comscore. And ‘Oppenheimer’ is right up there with it. They are both benefiting from each other’s success in this box office race.
The midsummer pairing of Barbie and Oppenheimer has boosted the overall summer box office, which is now ahead of last year’s figures. Currently, movies combined have earned $3.63 billion in North America. With highly anticipated releases such as DC Comics’ Blue Beetle, the video game adaptation Gran Turismo, and the Denzel Washington sequel The Equalizer 3 still to come in August, there is a chance for the box office to cross the $4 billion mark, which was considered a strong benchmark before the pandemic.
In conclusion, Barbie continues to dominate the box office, breaking records and surpassing the $1 billion mark globally. Its success, along with that of Oppenheimer, is reviving the summer box office and offering hope for a strong recovery in the film industry. Moviegoers can expect continued excitement in the coming weeks with highly anticipated releases on the horizon.
