„Barbie" and „Oppenheimer": a win for movie theaters

After several productions such as "The Flash" or a new movie in the "Indiana Jones" series, which were not as successful in theaters as expected, „Barbie" and „Oppenheimer" have celebrated extremely successful releases over the weekend. Since they were released at the same time, it was eagerly awaited to see which film would make it to the top. There is even a special name created for the battle: "Barbenheimer". Both films join the ranks of U.S. and Canadian film history as they managed to cross the $300 million mark in domestic sales for all films for the fourth time in history. According to the studio on Sunday, „Barbie" is currently slightly in the lead with 155 million dollars, while "Oppenheimer" has generated 80.5 million dollars. 

"Everybody was in (…). All demographics showed up for these two films, and it's exactly what Hollywood needed.“, said Jeff Bock, senior box office analyst at Exhibitor Relations Co.

More than 200,000 people bought tickets to see "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" on the same day, according to the National Association of Theatre Owners. "Barbie" set records over the weekend: It was the biggest theatrical release of 2023 and the highest for a film directed by a woman in history. It surpassed the release of "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" in April. Accordingly, Barbie manufacturer Mattel Inc.'s worldwide marketing campaign, which included not only major live events and advertising campaigns but also numerous product partnerships, appears to have succeeded. "Barbie" generated $337 million worldwide, so far.
 

Source: www.reuters.com