Barbie, Directed by Greta Gerwig, Breaks Records with Biggest Opening Weekend for Female Filmmaker.
Barbie’s latest film raked in an impressive $377 million, while Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” earned $174 million, making the combined earnings of these movies the biggest box office weekend of 2023 thus far, playfully nicknamed “Barbenheimer.”
Greta Gerwig has achieved a groundbreaking feat with Barbie, as the film soared to an extraordinary $377 million (£293 million, A$560 million) opening weekend worldwide. Notably, this momentous accomplishment marks the largest debut ever for a film directed by a woman.
In North America, encompassing the US and Canada, Barbie dominated the box office, claiming the number one position with a staggering $155 million in ticket sales from 4,243 locations. This surpasses the openings of The Super Mario Bros Movie and all Marvel films released this year, solidifying Barbie as the biggest opening of the year.
The ingenious merging of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie and Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer on social media, affectionately dubbed “Barbenheimer,” resulted in a remarkable resurgence of moviegoers flocking back to theaters to experience both films as a thrilling double feature. Oppenheimer exceeded all expectations, generating an impressive $80.5 million from 3,610 theaters in the US and Canada. This remarkable achievement marked Nolan’s most significant non-Batman opening and ranked as one of the best-ever starts for an R-rated biographical drama.
In an unprecedented occurrence, this weekend marked the first time that one movie surpassed $100 million in its opening, while another film achieved over $80 million in ticket sales. As the dust settles on Monday, US time, it is highly likely that this weekend will secure its place as the fourth-largest box office weekend of all time, with the industry as a whole amassing a staggering sum exceeding $300 million.
On the international front, Barbie achieved an impressive $182 million from 69 territories, contributing to a massive $337 million global weekend earnings. Meanwhile, Oppenheimer garnered $93.7 million from 78 territories, even surpassing Barbie’s performance in India, resulting in a global total of $174.2 million.
In the UK, cinema chain Vue reported that a remarkable one-fifth of its customers opted for a double bill experience, watching both Barbie and Oppenheimer over the weekend. This record-breaking weekend became the largest for UK cinema ticket sales since the Covid pandemic began.
The impact of Barbenheimer was evident on the ticket sales of Mission: Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part I, which experienced a significant 64% decline following a strong opening weekend and positive reviews. With Imax screens going to Oppenheimer, the Tom Cruise-led movie managed to add $19.5 million to its North American box office earnings, reaching a total of $118.8 million.
The historic opening of Barbie saw a remarkable influence from female audiences, constituting 65% of the viewers, as reported by PostTrak. Additionally, 40% of the ticket buyers were under the age of 25. In contrast, Oppenheimer’s audience was predominantly male, making up 62% of the viewers, and 63% of them were over the age of 25, with an unexpected 32% falling between the ages of 18 and 24.
This weekend marks the long-awaited comeback that Hollywood has been yearning for since the pandemic began. While there have been previous big openings and successes with movies like Spider-Man: No Way Home, Top Gun: Maverick, and Avatar: The Way of Water, the simultaneous success of two films is particularly noteworthy.
Michael O’Leary, the president and CEO of the National Association of Theatre Owners, described it as a truly historic weekend that adds to the positive momentum seen in the box office throughout 2023. Audiences recognized the significance of this moment and eagerly embraced the opportunity to be a part of something special, contributing to the weekend’s outstanding performance.
Amidst the extraordinary success of Barbie and Oppenheimer, a potential disaster unfolds in the background as Hollywood studios grapple with ongoing disputes involving striking actors and writers, demanding a fair contract.
Barbie and Oppenheimer held the distinction of being the final films on the 2023 calendar to embark on a massive, global press tour. Both productions pushed the boundaries, utilizing every last moment available to engage with their movie stars. Oppenheimer even rescheduled its London premiere an hour earlier, recognizing that Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, and Cillian Murphy would have to depart to symbolically stand with the picket lines before the movie’s commencement.
