In the latest box office news, ‘Barbie‘ is a shining star, breaking records with a staggering $93 million in its second weekend at the North American box office. Meanwhile, ‘Haunted Mansion’ had a lackluster start, earning only $24.2 million for Disney. Let’s delve into the details of these recent box office hits and misses.
Barbie, a female-led film directed by Greta Gerwig, has exceeded all expectations and shattered box office records. Despite predictions of a rapid decline after its remarkable debut, the movie showcased incredible staying power, experiencing only a modest 43 percent drop in ticket sales. This resulted in an impressive domestic total of $351.4 million by the end of Sunday.
Internationally, Barbie continued to paint the box office pink, grossing an additional $122.2 million, bringing its foreign tally to $423.1 million. Combining the global earnings, Barbie’s total stands at a dreamy $774.5 million, positioning it to join the exclusive billion-dollar club. It will be the second film of 2023 to achieve this feat, following Universal’s ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie,’ which collected an impressive $1.34 billion worldwide.
Interestingly, Barbie is also enjoying significant success in China, where it amassed $25 million in earnings, surpassing initial expectations, and could reach $40 million. The United Kingdom boasts the highest salaries for Barbie, with a whopping $61.6 million, outpacing the first ten days of the final Harry Potter film. Additionally, it has become Warner Bros.’s most successful film ever in Brazil, with an early total of $33.5 million.
Moreover, Barbie now holds the title for the biggest first week in Warner Bros. history, surpassing the legendary ‘The Dark Knight’ directed by Christopher Nolan.
On the other hand, Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer,’ the cinematic counterpart of the Barbenheimer effect, remains a box office force, maintaining a solid performance during its second weekend. The biographical drama about J. Robert Oppenheimer, the father of the atomic bomb, grossed an estimated $46.2 million, marking only a 44 percent decline in ticket sales. With a global haul of $400.4 million, including $174.6 million domestically and $226.3 million internationally, ‘Oppenheimer’ ranks as one of Nolan’s top-grossing films, ahead of ‘Tenet’ and ‘Batman Begins.’
Moreover, ‘Oppenheimer’ has been a boon for Imax, as it became the second-fastest film to reach $80 million in global Imax ticket sales. Due to its success, the film’s run has been extended through the weekend of Aug. 11-13, providing audiences with more opportunities to experience the masterpiece.
In contrast, ‘Haunted Mansion’ failed to meet expectations, debuting with a disappointing $24.2 million. The live-action family film, directed by Justin Simien, took on the challenge of transforming Disneyland’s iconic attraction into a supernatural horror-comedy. Unfortunately, it faced tough competition from Barbie and suffered from mediocre reviews, leading to a lackluster performance.
Disney remains hopeful that the movie’s good audience exit scores on PostTrak and a B+ CinemaScore will help it gain momentum and longevity, similar to Pixar’s ‘Elemental,’ which enjoyed an enviable multiple after a slow start. However, both ‘Haunted Mansion’ and ‘Elemental’ were expensive to produce, adding pressure on their box office performance. ‘Haunted Mansion’ alone cost at least $150 million before marketing.
Despite its underwhelming start, ‘Haunted Mansion’ did manage to earn $9.1 million from international markets, resulting in a global bow of $33.3 million.
Elsewhere at the box office, Angel Studios’ sleeper summer hit ‘Sound of Freedom’ continues to impress with a third-place finish and a domestic total of $149 million. Paramount’s ‘Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One’ faces tough competition from Barbenheimer but remains strong overseas, clearing the $300 million mark with a global total of $448.5 million.
Additionally, A24’s new specialty horror film, ‘Talk to Me,’ opened better than expected with $10 million, adding another success to A24’s roster.
In conclusion, Barbie’s reign at the box office continues with an extraordinary second weekend, while ‘Haunted Mansion’ struggles to spook audiences. Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer’ also stands as a formidable box office force, delighting Imax audiences worldwide. The box office competition remains fierce as the summer movie season unfolds, leaving audiences eager to see what future weekends will bring.
