Greta Gerwig’s film “Barbie” has achieved tremendous success at the box office, surpassing $700 million in worldwide ticket sales. This has made it the highest-grossing Warner Bros. movie in history, with a record-breaking week of $578.5 million. The film is now on track to join the billion-dollar club globally, making it the top-grossing movie ever for a solo female director, without adjusting for inflation.
In addition to “Barbie,” Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” also contributed to the success of the box office. Together, these films have fueled the fifth-biggest week in history for the domestic box office, bringing in an estimated $500 million in revenue. This achievement is rare, occurring only four times before in box office history. What makes it even more remarkable is that it has never happened in July until now. According to Paul Dergarabedian, the chief box office analyst at Comscore, this achievement is owed in large part to the “Barbenheimer” craze, which has boosted the fortunes of the entire theatrical marketplace.
When looking at the all-time highest-grossing weeks at the box office, films such as “Avengers: Endgame,” “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” and “Avatar” have been the top performers. “Force Awakens” holds the second and third spots on the list. However, “Barbie” has managed to secure its place among these top earners.
In North America alone, “Barbie” has earned an additional $21.2 million on Thursday, bringing its domestic total to $258.2 million. This makes it the highest-grossing week ever for Warner Bros. at the domestic box office, surpassing even Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight.” The film is projected to reach $300 million on Friday. On the international front, “Barbie” has earned an estimated $320.3 million through Thursday.
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As the weekend approaches, the focus shifts to how much higher “Barbie” can climb in terms of worldwide box office earnings. Some believe it could even cross $750 million, making it the third highest-grossing film of 2023 after just its second weekend of release. Currently, the top global earners for the year are “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” ($1.34 billion), “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” ($844.8 million), and “Fast X” ($704.9 million). “Barbie” has become a historic victory for Warner Bros., toymaker Mattel, Greta Gerwig, and the film’s cast.
In other box office news, Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” has also performed well, grossing $10 million on Friday for a domestic total of $127.9 million. Globally, it has earned $292.6 million as of Thursday.
Meanwhile, Disney’s new film “Haunted Mansion” had a solid start at the domestic box office, earning $3.1 million in Thursday previews. This includes select advance Dolby Cinema screenings on Wednesday evening. Among other Disney live-action films, “Haunted Mansion” had a higher preview gross than films like “Jungle Cruise” and “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil.” Directed by Justin Simien, the film is the only PG-rated offering in the marketplace and is projected to have a subdued opening in the $30 million range.
Overall, this week has been a milestone for the box office, with “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” contributing to exceptional revenue. The success of these films has cemented their place among the highest-grossing movies in history and has brought a significant boost to the entire theatrical marketplace.
