Barbie and Oppenheimer have exceeded all expectations with their fusion and have managed to create a powerful weapon that has not only rescued the troubled summer box office but has also made history in the film industry. The recovery of the theatrical landscape has primarily relied on the support of younger male audiences, who are always eager to watch the latest superhero or action film. However, the release of Barbie and Oppenheimer has attracted consumers from all age groups, prompting them to take a break from streaming and immerse themselves in the biggest cinematic event in years.
Barbie, a massive hit, is on its way to crossing the $1 billion mark globally and has become one of the top female-led films at the box office. According to Comscore, Barbie and Oppenheimer contributed to the second biggest July in box office history, with a total of $1.371 billion. The only July with higher earnings was back in 2011, when movies like “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2” and “Captain America: The First Avenger” dominated the screens.
Now that these films have been in theaters for two weeks, The Hollywood Reporter took a closer look at the audience breakdown for Barbie and Oppenheimer in the U.S. based on data provided by exit polling service PostTrak.
Barbie managed to capture the attention of female audiences from the start, with 69% of ticket buyers during its opening weekend being female. The film, directed by Greta Gerwig, grossed a staggering $162 million domestically, making it one of the biggest openings of all time and the highest-grossing film directed by a woman. This female percentage was comparable to that of popular franchises like Twilight and The Hunger Games.
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In contrast, female-fronted superhero films like Wonder Woman and Captain Marvel had a more even gender distribution, with Wonder Woman attracting a 52% female audience during its opening weekend. However, despite Barbie’s dominance among female audiences, Oppenheimer also had a surprising start, grossing $82.4 million in its opening weekend. Among ticket buyers, 62% were males.
Interestingly, in the second weekend, Barbie’s audience became even more female-dominated, with women making up 71% of all ticket buyers. This is a common trend, as the gender split of a film’s audience often shifts in subsequent weekends. On the other hand, Oppenheimer saw a decrease in male audience share, with males representing 58% of the audience in the second weekend, while female attendance increased from 32% to 42%.
Some theories suggest that adults, especially those aged 35 and older, prefer to wait until after the opening weekend to watch a movie to avoid crowds. This theory seems to hold true for Barbie and Oppenheimer. In the first weekend, females aged 25 and younger comprised 35% of the audience for Barbie, slightly surpassing females aged 25 and older at 33%. However, in the second weekend, the numbers flipped, with females aged 25 and under making up 32% of the audience, followed by females aged 25 and older at 38%. Similarly, in Oppenheimer’s second weekend, moviegoers aged 55 and over increased from 13% to 19%.
One surprising aspect of Barbie’s audience demographics is the lack of turnout among moviegoers aged 55 and older. Despite the fact that Barbie was first created in 1959, only 6 to 7% of the general audience fell into the 55-plus age group. However, the film made up for this by attracting a large number of teenagers, with 13% of Barbie’s audience consisting of moviegoers aged 13 to 17. In contrast, Oppenheimer had a higher percentage of older moviegoers, but a smaller number of teenagers, with 5% of the audience falling into the 13 to 17 age group.
Both Barbie and Oppenheimer managed to capture the attention of the coveted 18-34 demographic, which is known for being the most frequent moviegoers. However, industry experts believe that it will be difficult for any future films to replicate the success of Barbie and Oppenheimer. These films have truly become cultural phenomena, and their massive box office grosses are a testament to their impact.
This summer has been reminiscent of a previous era for filmmaker Christopher Nolan, as his seminal superhero movie “The Dark Knight” debuted on the same weekend in July as Oppenheimer did years later. “The Dark Knight” set records with a $158.4 million opening weekend and eventually surpassed $1 billion. Similarly, “Mamma Mia!” opened against “The Dark Knight” and was considered a success for a female-led movie, grossing $27.9 million and reaching $609.8 million globally.
For Nolan, the resurgence of crowded theaters feels like a long-awaited triumph. After months of limited releases and streaming dominance, audiences are finally returning to cinemas, creating a vibrant and thriving marketplace for movies. The success of Barbie and Oppenheimer has reignited the passion for moviegoing and highlighted the enduring power of cinematic experiences.
