Over the weekend, the films "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" enjoyed successful debuts at the box office, generating significant ticket sales and reinvigorating the domestic market. "Barbie" achieved the highest opening of 2023, bringing in around $155 million during its first three days in theaters. On the other hand, "Oppenheimer" garnered an estimated $80.5 million during its debut. Final numbers for both films' debuts will be revealed on Monday.
The combination of Warner Bros.' "Barbie" and Universal's "Oppenheimer" attracted more than 18.5 million viewers, with 12.8 million watching "Barbie" and 5.8 million opting for "Oppenheimer," according to data from EntTelligence. Both films have received positive reviews, holding ratings of over 90% "Fresh" on Rotten Tomatoes. The success of these films has been attributed to their unique and original storytelling, which has resonated with audiences.
In addition to "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer," other films like Paramount's "Mission Impossible," Sony's "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse," and Angel Studios' "The Sound of Freedom" also contributed to a strong weekend at the box office. With these combined ticket sales, the weekend box office is expected to reach $302 million, the highest of any weekend in 2023, according to Comscore.
The success of "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" has been seen as a positive sign for the movie industry, which has faced some challenges in recent times. Several high-profile adult-aimed blockbusters have underperformed, leading to concerns about shifting consumer tastes. However, the popularity of "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" suggests that audiences are still enthusiastic about fresh and original content. This success has reignited the summer box office and may encourage studios to be more aggressive with their counter-programming strategies in the future.
While Monday's official weekend numbers are expected to be higher than Sunday's estimates, it is unlikely that "Barbenheimer" weekend will surpass the highest-grossing weekend ever, which occurred in April 2019 with the release of "Avengers: Endgame." Nonetheless, the strong performance of these films has solidified the movie theater as a cultural hub and a center for social interaction, according to industry analysts.
Overall, the success of "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" has brought a much-needed boost to the domestic box office, demonstrating the audience's appetite for diverse and compelling content.