Barbenheimer weekend is underway and two of the most anticipated movies of the summer, Barbie and Oppenheimer, are on their way to breaking multiple box office records.
The 33-year-old Margot Robbie’s film already posted the biggest opening day of 2023 with $70.5 in ticket sales on Friday.
The 47-year-old Cillian Murphy’s film, by comparison, grossed $33 million to be the third-highest gross of the year.
Moviegoers are flocking to both movies, with many opting to see both in a double feature.
This renewed interest in going to movie theaters is expected to generate an estimated revenue of $308 million over the three-day period, according to Deadline.
Let’s Party: Barbenheimer’s weekend is underway and two of the most anticipated movies of the summer, Barbie and Oppenheimer, are on their way to breaking multiple box office records.
Atomic bomb: 47-year-old Cillian Murphy’s film raked in $33 million for the third-biggest take of the year
That’s good enough to make this weekend the biggest box office since theaters reopened after pandemic shutdowns.
It’s also enough ticket sales to become the fourth-highest-grossing weekend of all time behind Avengers: Endgame’s $402 million in April 2019, Avengers: Infinity Wars’ $314.8 million in April 2018 and Star Wars: Force Awakens’ $313.2 million in December 2015.
And it’s all run by a bubbly blonde and her himbo boyfriend, with not a superhero or space adventurer in sight.
The 39-year-old Greta Gerwig’s bubblegum pink film is on pace to earn more than $161 million during its opening weekend.
Barbie is also on pace to take the title for the biggest opening weekend of any film directed by a woman.
Captain Marvel, which was co-directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, currently holds the record for any film with a female director with the $153 million that opened in 2019.
Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman holds the record for any film directed solely by a woman with $103 million in 2017.
Oppenheimer, a film about the development of the atomic bomb by J. Robert Oppenheimer, is on track to gross $77 million over the three-day weekend, buoyed by the film’s $33 million opening.
The 52-year-old Christopher Nolan biopic is its third-highest opening weekend and the biggest opening ever for an R-rated film, surpassing John Wick: Chapter 4 with $73.8 million.
There has never been an opening weekend with one movie grossing over $100 million and a second making over $50 million like Barbie and Oppenheimer are on track to do.
Barbie had the largest advance sales at $22.3 million of any Warner Brothers film.
Barbie’s World: The 33-year-old Margot Robbie’s film already posted the biggest opening day of 2023 with $70.5 in ticket sales on Friday
Blockbuster: . Moviegoers are flocking to both movies, with many opting to see both in a double feature.
Ticket sales: This renewed interest in going to movie theaters is expected to generate an estimated $308 million over the three-day period, according to Deadline
Big numbers: Oppenheimer is on track to win $77 million over the three-day weekend
Winner: 39-year-old Greta Gerwig’s bubblegum pink film is on pace to earn more than $161 million during its opening weekend
They’re also the best opening-weekend box office numbers for Gerwig, Robbie and 42-year-old Ryan Gosling.
Come on, Barbie, let’s party, because the movie is also one of the best of all time for a female-biased film and the only one not based on an established superhero or franchise.
In addition to Robbie and Gosling, Barbie also stars Kate McKinnon, America Ferrera, Will Ferrell, Simu Liu, and Issa Rae.
Alongside Murphy, Oppenheimer also stars Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., Rami Malek, Emily Blunt, and Florence Pugh.
