The merger of Greta Gerwig’s ‘Barbie’ and Christopher Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer’ didn’t just succeed; it struck box office gold. Termed “Barbenheimer,” the unique blend, propelled by social media, attracted an unprecedented number of cinema viewers this weekend. Its performance outshone forecasts, providing a glimmer of hope for the struggling film exhibition industry amidst ongoing strikes.
Warner Bros.’ ‘Barbie’ dominated the box office, raking in a colossal $155 million in North American theatres from 4,243 locations. This feat ousted ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’ (and every Marvel film this year) as the year’s biggest opening and set a new record for a woman-directed film’s opening weekend. Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer’, distributed by Universal, surpassed anticipations, garnering $80.5 million from 3,610 theatres across the U.S. and Canada. This marked Nolan’s most substantial non-Batman debut and one of the most impressive kickoffs for an R-rated biographical drama.
This weekend also marked a unique occurrence, with one movie exceeding the $100 million opening mark and another surpassing $80 million in the same weekend. Ultimately, this weekend might rank as the fourth highest-grossing weekend ever, with industry-wide earnings exceeding $300 million. This comes amidst a market that increasingly leans towards IP-driven, winner-takes-all model.
The “Barbenheimer” phenomenon might have begun as a friendly rivalry between two starkly different aesthetics, but both films benefitted. ‘Barbie’ earned an impressive $182 million from 69 territories internationally, contributing to a $337 million global weekend. ‘Oppenheimer’, with $93.7 million from 78 territories, surpassed ‘Barbie’ in India, culminating in a $174.2 million worldwide total.
The only major casualty was ‘Mission: Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part I’, which despite solid reviews and a promising opening weekend, witnessed a 64% dip in its second weekend. Overshadowed by the “Barbenheimer” success and the loss of IMAX screens to ‘Oppenheimer’, the Tom Cruise-led movie earned an additional $19.5 million, bringing its domestic total to $118.8 million.
The “Barbenheimer” combination wasn’t simply a gimmick. Although a specific subset of enthusiastic viewers overlapped, the overall audiences were distinct. Women formed the bulk of the ‘Barbie’ viewership at 65%, with 40% of ticket buyers being under 25, according to PostTrak data.
“We’re witnessing history in so many ways. It’s an exhilarating time,” exclaimed Jeff Goldstein, Warner Bros.’ president of domestic distribution. “I think this marketing campaign will be one people remember for ages.”
Conversely, ‘Oppenheimer’s audiences were 62% male and 63% over 25, with a rather surprising 32% aged between 18 and 24.
Both ‘Barbie’ and ‘Oppenheimer’ won over critics, receiving 90% and 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, respectively, with audiences rating both films an A CinemaScore. Social media has been buzzing with various reactions and discussions all weekend – a kind of organic, event cinema, watercooler debate that no marketing budget can manufacture.
Goldstein acknowledged, “The ‘Barbenheimer’ element was a real catalyst for both films. It’s a crowning achievement for everyone involved.”
‘Oppenheimer’ dominated the majority of premium large format screens (80%). About 25 theatres in North America even hosted sold-out IMAX 70mm screenings (Nolan’s preferred format), accounting for 2% of the total gross. In response to high demand, additional early morning screenings were also added, which were sold out.
“Nolan’s films are always monumental cinematic events,” said Jim Orr, Universal’s president of domestic distribution.
IMAX alone contributed to 26% of the domestic gross (or $21.1 million) from merely 411 screens and 20% of the global gross. ‘Oppenheimer’ is set to have a minimum three-week run on these high-demand screens.
IMAX CEO Rich Gelfond described the situation as “a phenomenon beyond compare. People worldwide attend sold-out 4:00 a.m. shows and travel for hours to see ‘Oppenheimer’ in IMAX 70mm.”
This weekend marked a significant turning point Hollywood had hoped for since the pandemic. While there have been successful film openings such as ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home,’ ‘Top Gun: Maverick,’ and ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’, the simultaneous success of the two films is noteworthy.
Michael O’Leary, President & CEO of the National Association of Theatre Owners, emphasized, “This was a truly historic weekend and continues the positive box office momentum of 2023. People recognized that something unique was happening and wanted to be a part of it.”
Yet, the potential disaster looms as Hollywood studios dispute with striking actors and writers over a fair contract.
‘Barbie’ and ‘Oppenheimer’ were the last significant films of 2023 to receive an extensive, global press tour. The stars of ‘Oppenheimer’ even moved up the London premiere by an hour to join the picket lines symbolically.
Without the stars to promote films, studios have begun to delay some autumn releases, including the anticipated Zendaya tennis drama ‘Challengers.’
For now, the positive news could continue for the upcoming weeks.
“We may have a sequel next weekend,” said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore. “The fear of missing out will escalate due to this monumental box office event focused on the movie theatre experience.”
According to Comscore, the estimated ticket sales from Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theatres are as follows.
1. “Barbie,” $155 million.
2. “Oppenheimer,” $80.5 million.
3. “Sound of Freedom,” $20.1 million.
4. “Mission: Impossible-Dead Reckoning Part I,” $19.5 million.
5. “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” $6.7 million.
6. “Insidious: The Red Door,” $6.5 million.
7. “Elemental,” $5.8 million.
8. “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” $2.8 million.
9. “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts,” $1.1 million.
10. “No Hard Feelings,” $1.1 million.
As this historic weekend wraps up, the box office success of ‘Barbie’ and ‘Oppenheimer’ has breathed life back into an industry that’s seen its fair share of challenges. The film world has been hanging on by a thread, from strikes to pandemics. But the success of ‘Barbenheimer’ reminds us of the unique magic of the cinema, an experience that is far from obsolete. Viewership figures attest that when given compelling content, audiences are still more than willing to make that journey to the theatre. With the stage set for an exhilarating follow-up weekend, all eyes remain on Hollywood to see if it can sustain its current momentum.
