Warner Bros.’ blockbuster film ‘Barbie’ continues to dominate the North American box office, earning an estimated $93 million this weekend. The movie, which has been described as ‘rolling down a hill of cash,’ has been a major success story in the midst of a middling Hollywood summer.
Alongside Universal’s dark biopic ‘Oppenheimer,’ which earned $46.2 million in its second weekend, ‘Barbie’ has provided a much-needed boost to the industry. Analysts have even coined the term ‘Barbenheimer’ to describe the combined success of the two films.
Despite initial skepticism, ‘Barbie’ has proven to be a hit with audiences. The film, directed by Greta Gerwig and starring Margot Robbie as the iconic doll, has surpassed expectations by generating $351.4 million in North American ticket sales and $423 million internationally. It is on track to become the next billion-dollar blockbuster.
‘Oppenheimer,’ a historical drama about the creation of America’s atomic bomb, has also exceeded expectations. With $174.1 million in domestic earnings and $226 million internationally, the film has solidified its place in box-office history.
In third place for the weekend was Disney’s new release, ‘Haunted Mansion,’ which earned $24.2 million. The film, featuring LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish, and Owen Wilson, has a long way to go to reach profitability, as Disney spent $150 million on its production.
The independent film ‘Sound of Freedom’ secured the fourth spot with $12.4 million in earnings. However, the low-budget action thriller has faced controversy due to its portrayal of child sex trafficking, with critics claiming it perpetuates Qanon conspiracy theories.
Rounding out the top five was Paramount’s ‘Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One,’ which earned $10.7 million. Overall, all of the top five films earned double-digit millions at the box office.
The rest of the top 10 included ‘Talk to Me’ ($10 million), ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’ ($4 million), ‘Elemental’ ($3.4 million), ‘Insidious: The Red Door’ ($3.2 million), and ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ ($1.4 million).