Barbie: The Pink Unicorn Continues to Dominate the Box Office
Barbie continues to be a pink unicorn at the box office, with the movie on track to earn $95 million or more in its second weekend, making it one of the best second weekends of all time in North America. This also marks the best second weekend gross ever for Warner Bros., without adjusting for inflation.
Despite skepticism from detractors who predicted the movie would quickly fade away after its record-breaking debut, Barbie is proving them wrong. It is expected to have a minimal decline of 41 percent, which is rare for a film that had such a high opening weekend. With a domestic cumulative total of around $350 million, Barbie is on its way to becoming a box office powerhouse.
But Barbie’s success isn’t limited to the domestic market. It is also painting the overseas box office pink, with a global total of $750 million or more by the end of the weekend. This puts Barbie on track to join the exclusive billion-dollar club, becoming only the second film of 2023 to achieve this feat after Universal’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie.
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In addition to its box office success, Barbie has also set records. It had the biggest first week in Warner Bros. history, surpassing Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight. This is a remarkable achievement for a film that was initially met with skepticism.
Meanwhile, Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, the other half of the Barbenheimer effect, is also performing well at the box office. The three-hour biographical drama is expected to gross $46 million in its second weekend, with a mere 44 percent drop. This makes it the biggest second weekend ever for an R-rated film, surpassing Deadpool 2. It is estimated that Oppenheimer will finish the weekend with a global haul of $395.4 million, making it Nolan’s sixth-biggest film of all time.
On the other hand, Disney’s Haunted Mansion is struggling in its debut. The live-action family film is expected to have a subdued opening of $23 million to $27 million, which is one of the lowest starts for Disney’s live-action reimaginations. The film faced challenges from Barbenheimer, mediocre reviews, and a struggling family marketplace. Additionally, the star-studded cast was unable to do publicity and press due to the SAG-AFTRA strike.
Despite the challenges, Disney hopes that positive audience scores will help the film have a long run, especially since there isn’t much family competition for the rest of the summer. Haunted Mansion received a B+ CinemaScore, which is a good sign for its future success.
Barbie and Oppenheimer aren’t the only films in the spotlight. Angel Studios’ sleeper summer hit, Sound of Freedom, continues to hold strong in third place behind Barbie and Oppenheimer. Paramount’s Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One, which is trying to rebound from the Barbenheimer effect, is expected to finish in fourth place.
In addition, A24’s specialty film, Talk to Me, from Australian twin brothers and filmmakers Danny and Michael Philippou, is projected to open in the range of $9 million to $9.5 million. The film, acquired by A24 after Sundance, is eyeing a sixth-place finish.
Overall, Barbie’s success at the box office is unprecedented. Its ability to sustain its momentum and defy expectations is a testament to the power of female-led films. With its international success, Barbie is on track to become one of the highest-grossing films of the year and a cultural phenomenon.
