In the US and Canada, the Barbie Movie took an estimated $155m (£120m), also making box office history as the biggest opening weekend for a female director.
Distributor Warner Bros added that worldwide, Barbie’s debut took $337m (£293m).
UK figures are not yet confirmed, but Vue reported that the combination of Barbie (Warner Bros.) and Oppenheimer (Universal) opening simultaneously meant the cinema chain had its busiest weekend in four years, and its second biggest weekend in history. The chain, which has 91 cinemas throughout the UK and Ireland, believes Barbie is on course to become the biggest box office success of 2023, ahead of Super Mario Bros.
The two films brought in half a million people to Vue screens, with 4,000 sold out viewings for Barbie across the UK and Ireland. Many cinemagoers chose to watch a double bill of the two movies, dubbed “Barbenheimer”. Oppenheimer also opened to a remarkable $80.5m (US box office).
Previously, the top three overall weekends in history were led by the debuts of sequels in well known franchises: Avengers: Endgame, Avengers: Infinity War and Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
Greta Gerwig is celebrating the biggest debut ever for a film directed by a woman. Captain Marvel, co-directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, previously held the title after earning $153m in 2019, and Wonder Woman, from filmmaker Patty Jenkins, held the record-holder for a movie solely directed by a woman with its $103m debut in 2017.
The Barbie movie has been well received by critics and audiences alike (90% on Rotten Tomatoes).
Cinema venues are hoping the weekend marks the beginning of a revival of cinemagoing, having seen a significant dip in box office takings, blamed on competition from streaming. The hype around the Barbie movie has been inescapable and has generated a real buzz. You can read more about Mattel’s hugely ambitious retail activation plan here, where Mattel’s Sanjay Luthra exclusively told Toy World: “This is more than just a movie – it’s a cultural moment. The film has the opportunity to define what the Barbie brand means for current and future generations of fans.”
Groups of friends, and families, have been flocking to book seats, many dressing up in honour of the occasion. On social media, many viewers of Barbie have suggested they were already planning a return visit.
