Barbenheimer breaks several box office records in US and worldwide with opening weekend collection: Report

Barbenheimer – Barbie and Oppenheimer together – grossed more than $511 million worldwide and $235.5 million in the US over the weekend, as per latest figures. Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer and Greta Gerwig’s Barbie released on the same day – July 21. As per a new report, never before in the history of Hollywood movies have two films opened to $100 million plus (Barbie) and $50 million plus (Oppenheimer) at the US box office. Also read: Barbie vs Oppenheimer, who is ruling the worldwide box office?

According to AFP, Barbie, in its debut weekend, made $155 million at the North American box office, as of Sunday. The agency added that Oppenheimer also registered a great opening weekend with $80.5 million.

Box office records Barbie broke

Deadline has compiled a list of the records that both Barbie and Oppenheimer broke this weekend. As per the report, Barbie has already surpassed the lifetime grosses of many of other female-led movies, including Ocean’s 8 ($297.7 million), Bird of Prey ($205.3 million) and Little Women ($218.8 million).

Barbie registered the largest opening of 2023 to date, besting Super Mario Bros.‘s $146.4 million three-day weekend. The film also has the largest grossing day of 2023, $70.8 million, besting Super Mario Bros Movie‘s $54.8million. Barbie has also become the largest Warner Bros. advance sales ever at $49.5 million. It also holds the record for the largest opening for a female-directed film in the US, outstripping Captain Marvel‘s $153.4 million.

Moreover, it has the second-highest opening for a movie from a woman filmmaker, second to Captain Marvel‘s $456.6 million global start. It is also the largest opening weekend for a movie based on a toy after Transformers: Dark of the Moon’s $115.9 million.

Largest US opening for Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling

Barbie saw the largest opening in the US for Greta Gerwig as a director. Her film Little Woman earlier held the record with $16.8 million. Margot Robbie also saw her biggest opening after Suicide Squad ($133.7 million); while Ryan Gosling also had his largest opening with Barbie. His previous best opening was Blade Runner 2049 ($32.8million). Moreover, worldwide too, Barbie is the biggest launch for Greta, Margot and Ryan.

Oppenheimer has biggest global opening weekend for a biopic

Oppenheimer marked Christopher Nolan’s third-highest grossing opening weekend ever, both global and in the US, after The Dark Knight Rises, $249 million and $161 million, respectively, and The Dark Knight, at $198 million and $158 million respectively. Moreover, it also had the biggest global day and date opening weekend ever for a biopic, outperforming Bohemian Rhapsody ($124 million). In the US, it’s the third-biggest start for a biopic after American Sniper ($89.2 million) and Passion of the Christ ($83.8 million).

Oppenheimer is also the biggest global opening for a drama since 2019, ahead of Creed III’s $100.2 million, and the highest-grossing opening weekend for an R-rated film, beating John Wick: Chapter 4 ($73.8 million). The film also registered the biggest IMAX opening for a Christopher Nolan movie, and the biggest IMAX for a Universal title in the US and Canada, and the biggest for July overall and 2023 with $21.1 million.

Oppenheimer’s global business

It is the third-biggest international box office opening for a Christopher Nolan film, behind The Dark Knight Rises ($131million) and The Dark Knight ($94.2million). IMAX has grossed $13.9million of the international total from only 329 screens, making it offshore the biggest IMAX start for the filmmaker, the month of July, and the biggest IMAX weekend in Mexico, India, Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, Chile, Colombia, Indonesia, New Zealand, and the Czech Republic.

It is also the biggest non-superhero Christopher Nolan opening weekend in 55 markets, including the UK and Ireland, France, Germany, Australia, Mexico, Spain, and Brazil, as well as the biggest opening day for a Christopher Nolan film in 33 markets, including Saudi Arabia, UAE, India, Netherlands, Argentina and Belgium.