Over the weekend, movies and meme-generative blockbusters “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” enjoyed tremendous success at the box office, collectively fueling the biggest weekend in the pandemic era and the fourth-largest overall in history.
Despite their very different tones, audiences flocked to see both on the same day, creating a cultural craze known as “Barbenheimer.”
“Barbie”, directed by Greta Gerwig, raked in an impressive $155 million domestically, becoming the highest-grossing debut of the year.
On the other hand, Christopher Nolan’s R-rated historical drama “Oppenheimer” also had a remarkable opening, earning $80.5 million.
“Barbie” was particularly noteworthy for its massive marketing campaign and generated global earnings of over $300 million. Moreover, it broke records as the biggest opening weekend ever for a film directed by a woman.
Meanwhile, “Oppenheimer,” despite being a three-hour-long period piece with little action, surpassed expectations, further cementing Christopher Nolan’s reputation as a box office draw.
Its strong performance was also bolstered by significant support from premium large formats like IMAX, contributing to 47% of the film’s domestic earnings.
Amid the success of “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer,” other movies in theaters struggled to compete. “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” and “Sound of Freedom” landed in third and fourth place, respectively, while Disney’s “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” secured the fifth spot.
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