In another sensational weekend at the North American box office, ‘Barbie‘ continues to dazzle, achieving a record-breaking $93 million in its second weekend, making it the best sophomore outing for Warner Bros. to date, without adjusting for inflation.
The female-led film, directed by Greta Gerwig, defied expectations by only dropping 43 percent from its impressive $162 million opening, amassing a domestic total of $351.4 million.
‘Barbie’ proved equally successful overseas, raking in $122.2 million, bringing its foreign earnings to a staggering $423.1 million. The global total now stands at an enchanting $774.5 million, heading towards the coveted billion-dollar club. China, in particular, has embraced the movie, with a total of $25 million, and experts speculate it may reach $40 million, exceeding expectations for the Asian market. The United Kingdom leads all international territories with $61.6 million, surpassing even the final Harry Potter film’s opening days. Moreover, ‘Barbie’ secured its position as Warner Bros.’s most considerable success in Brazil, grossing an impressive $33.5 million.
Adding to its achievements, ‘Barbie’ now holds the record for the highest first-week earnings for any Warner Bros. movie, surpassing even Christopher Nolan’s iconic film, ‘The Dark Knight.’
Not to be outdone, Nolan’s latest venture, ‘Oppenheimer,’ also proved formidable at the box office. The biographical drama amassed an impressive $46.2 million in its second weekend, falling only 44 percent, securing its position as the most prominent second-weekend performer for an R-rated summer film, overtaking ‘Deadpool 2.’
‘Oppenheimer’ now boasts a global haul of $400.4 million, with $174.6 million coming from the domestic box office and $226.3 million from international markets. The film ranks as Nolan’s sixth-highest-grossing film, outpacing the success of ‘Tenet’ and ‘Batman Begins.’ Furthermore, ‘Oppenheimer’ has performed exceptionally well in 28 overseas markets, becoming Nolan’s most significant film in those territories.
The success of ‘Oppenheimer’ has also been a boon for Imax, as its use of unique Imax cameras has propelled it to become the second-fastest film to reach $80 million in global Imax ticket sales. Due to its popularity, Imax announced an extension of the film’s run through mid-August.
On the other hand, ‘Haunted Mansion,’ Disney’s live-action family adaptation of the iconic theme park attraction, had a disappointing debut, earning a lackluster $24.2 million. The movie faced stiff competition from ‘Barbie’ and suffered from mediocre reviews and limited publicity opportunities due to the actors’ strike.
Despite these challenges, Disney remains hopeful that positive audience feedback and high cinema scores will lead to long-lasting success for ‘Haunted Mansion,’ akin to Pixar’s ‘Elemental,’ which experienced a notable surge after a slow start. However, both films carried substantial production costs, with ‘Haunted Mansion’ estimated at $150 million and ‘Elemental’ at $200 million.
Directed by Justin Simien and boasting an impressive ensemble cast, including Rosario Dawson, LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish, Owen Wilson, Chase W. Dillon, Daniel Levy, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jared Leto, and Danny DeVito, ‘Haunted Mansion’ managed to gross $9.1 million from 53 territories overseas, contributing to a global opening of $33.3 million.
Meanwhile, Angel Studios’ sleeper hit ‘Sound of Freedom’ retained its third-place position, following ‘Barbie’ and ‘Oppenheimer,’ with an additional $12.4 million at the domestic box office, bringing its total to an impressive $149 million. Paramount’s ‘Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One’ trailed behind, facing challenges from the intense competition posed by ‘Barbie’ and ‘Oppenheimer.’ Nevertheless, it performed better overseas, surpassing the $300 million mark and accumulating $448.5 million worldwide.
Additionally, A24’s new specialty horror film ‘Talk to Me,’ directed by Australian twin brothers Danny and Michael Philippou of the RackaRacka YouTube channel fame, surprised experts with an opening of $10 million, exceeding initial predictions of $4 to $5 million. The indie horror film, acquired from Sundance, adds to A24’s successful streak, following the critical acclaim of ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once.’ However, sustaining momentum for specialty films nationwide remains a challenge.
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