Greta Gerwig’s film “Barbie” is on track to exceed $1 billion in global ticket sales, breaking the record for female directors previously held by Patty Jenkins. The film, which Gerwig directed and co-wrote, has earned an additional $53 million domestically and $74 million internationally, bringing its global total to $1.03 billion. It has been the top-grossing film for three weeks and shows no signs of slowing down. “Barbie” has also become the highest-grossing live-action film directed by a woman in North America, surpassing “Captain Marvel.” Warner Bros. co-chairs and CEOs Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy praised Gerwig and the film’s success, calling it a testament to her brilliance.
In its opening weekend, “Barbie” faced competition from the animated film “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” and the Jason Statham shark sequel “Meg 2: The Trench.” While “Meg 2” received poor reviews, it still managed to earn $30 million and secure the second-place spot at the box office. Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer,” now in its third weekend, claimed third place with $28.7 million.
“Oppenheimer,” a biopic about J. Robert Oppenheimer starring Cillian Murphy, has become the highest-grossing R-rated film of the year and the sixth-biggest film overall, surpassing “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.” The film has also crossed $500 million globally in just three weeks and has become Nolan’s fifth-biggest movie. It is now among the top grossing biographies and the biggest World War II film of all time.
Paramount’s “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” landed in fourth place with $28 million in its opening weekend. The film, which has received positive reviews and audience scores, has earned $43.1 million since its release on Wednesday.
The success of films like “Barbie,” “Oppenheimer,” and “Sound of Freedom” has fueled a boom at the box office, surpassing expectations and offsetting the disappointment of some summer releases. However, the industry’s moment of triumph may be short-lived if an agreement with striking actors and writers isn’t reached soon. The fall release calendar has already been affected, with some studios pushing films into 2024.
Despite the uncertainty caused by the strike, audiences have shown their love for going to the movie theater, resulting in strong ticket sales.
