Greta Gerwig’s Barbie Makes History with $377m Opening Weekend, Becomes Biggest Debut Ever for a Female-Directed Film
In a groundbreaking achievement for female filmmakers, Greta Gerwig’s Barbie has scored a record-breaking opening weekend, raking in an impressive $377m worldwide. This marks the largest debut ever for a movie directed by a woman.
At the North American box office, Barbie dominated the charts with a staggering $155m in ticket sales from 4,243 locations. Surpassing The Super Mario Bros Movie and all Marvel releases this year, Barbie claimed the top spot and became the biggest opening of the year.
The highly anticipated release of Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer alongside Barbie created a social media-driven phenomenon called “Barbenheimer,” drawing audiences in record numbers to theaters. Oppenheimer also exceeded expectations, earning $80.5m from 3,610 theaters in the US and Canada. Notably, it became Nolan’s biggest non-Batman debut and one of the most successful starts for an R-rated biographical drama.
This remarkable weekend also marked the first time that two movies opened with over $80m and $100m, respectively, in the same weekend. Industry experts predict that the combined success of Barbie and Oppenheimer will likely result in it being the fourth-biggest box office weekend of all time, with over $300m in total revenue.
Internationally, Barbie generated $182m from 69 territories, propelling its global earnings to $337m. Oppenheimer, on the other hand, secured $93.7m from 78 territories, even managing to surpass Barbie in India, reaching a total global gross of $174.2m. In the UK, Vue cinemas reported that a fifth of their customers watched both films in a double bill over the weekend, marking the most significant surge in ticket sales since the Covid-19 pandemic.
The success of “Barbenheimer” affected the ticket sales of Mission: Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part I, which experienced a 64% decline after a strong opening weekend. Despite losing IMAX screens to Oppenheimer, the Tom Cruise-led film still managed to earn an additional $19.5m, bringing its North American box office earnings to $118.8m.
Audience demographics for the two films differed significantly. Women were the driving force behind Barbie’s historic opening, constituting 65% of the audience. Additionally, 40% of ticket buyers were under the age of 25. Conversely, Oppenheimer drew a predominantly male audience, with 62% male viewers, and 63% over the age of 25, including a surprising 32% between the ages of 18 and 24.
The success of Barbie and Oppenheimer has granted Vue cinemas in the UK their most prosperous weekend since the Covid-19 pandemic began. This remarkable comeback in the industry signifies a turning point for Hollywood, with two movies achieving simultaneous success.
“It was a truly historic weekend and continues the positive box office momentum of 2023,” said Michael O’Leary, president and CEO of the National Association of Theatre Owners. “People recognized that something special was happening, and they wanted to be a part of it.”
However, amidst the celebratory atmosphere, tensions between Hollywood studios and striking actors and writers loom in the background. Ongoing disputes over fair contracts cast a shadow over the industry’s recent wins, even as Barbie and Oppenheimer concluded their global press tours. Both films held their premieres until the last possible moment, allowing their stars to participate in symbolic picket lines.
The success of Barbie and Oppenheimer not only highlights the talent and vision of female directors but also signals a reinvigoration of the film industry following the challenging times caused by the global pandemic.