Margot Robbie in Barbie
July 30, 2023
“Barbenheimer,” the social media buzzword linking disparate theatrical releases Barbie and Oppenheimer in a common marketing phenomenon, rages on.
Warner Bros. Pictures’ Barbie, directed by Greta Gerwig and starring Margot Robbie in the title role, and Ryan Gosling as Ken doll, generated an estimated $93 million across North American screens in its second weekend — the 7th largest sophomore weekend box office in history. The movie has now topped $351 million domestically (just behind Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 at $358 million), and $750 million worldwide, the latter the No. 3 tally of the year thus far, according to Box Office Mojo.
Universal Pictures’ Oppenheimer, featuring Cillian Murphy as physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, father of the atomic bomb, added another $46.6 million, to up its North American tally past $174 million, and $400 million worldwide. The movie has already surpassed two of director Christopher Nolan’s previous releases, Tenet (2020) and Batman Begins (2005).
Disney’s new family release Haunted House (based in part on the legacy theme park ride) sold $24.6 million in North American tickets, adding another $9.1 million internationally for a $33 million global debut.
At the No. 4, is Angel Studios’ faith-based juggernaut Sound of Freedom, which added $13.6 million to up its North American total past $150 million after five weeks. The tally is higher than the North American box office totals for Hollywood tentpole releases such as Universal’s Fast X at $145 million, Disney/Pixar Animation’s Elemental ($142 million), and Paramount Pictures’ Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One at $139 million.
A24’s low-budget Talk to Me sold $10 million in tickets in its debut.
Meanwhile, Screen Gems/Stage 6 Films/Blumhouse’s Insidious: The Red Door made a projected $3.175 million for the weekend, bringing its total domestic gross to more than $78 million through Sunday. At $174.3 million worldwide, the movie passes Insidious: The Last Key ($168 million) to become the highest grossing film in the franchise.
Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation’s Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse added an estimated $1.4 million for the weekend, bringing its current No. 2 total domestic gross to $378.8 million through Sunday.
At more than $217 million, the North American weekend box office ranks as the highest ever for the last week of July.