Barbie makes a historic hit at the US box office, Oppenheimer amazes

Greta Gerwig achieves the best launch in history across the Atlantic for a director.

Barbenheimer was not just a trend on the web. It has become a box office phenomenon. Over the weekend, Americans spent many hours in movie theaters. 13 million of them went to see Barbiewhich shattered expectations with $155 million in revenue in three days (via Variety), edging out Oppenheimerwhich also achieved a hit of unexpected magnitude with nearly 6 million admissions for 80.5 million dollars in receipts across the Atlantic.

Thanks to the two of them, it is squarely the fourth biggest weekend in North American box office history, behind Avengers: Endgame, Avengers : Infinity War And Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Above all, Barbie allows to Greta Gerwig to inscribe her name in the annals of Hollywood cinema: she offers herself the best launch in history across the Atlantic for a director, crushing the previous record of Patty Jenkins for wonder woman (2017) which had totaled $103 million. Note that Anna Boden had also co-directed, with Ryan Fleck, Captain Marvelin 2019, which opened at $153 million…

The shock is also great for Oppenheimer. The most optimistic forecasts envisaged a $50 million launch, given the heavy subject matter and the length (3 hours) of the film. But the biopic around Cilian Murphy blew up these expectations, with 80.5 million dollars in receipts across the Atlantic and nearly 175 million dollars at the global box office. This is the 3rd best start of Christopher Nolan at the US box office, behind the two films of Dark Knight and equal with Interstellar.

The one who bears the brunt of the hellish duo is Tom Cruise ! Her Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1 dropped 64% to $19.5 million in its second weekend. Mission: Impossible 7 is at $118.7 million in North America and $370 million worldwide to date.