Warner Bros.' new film Barbie exceeded expectations during its opening weekend, raking in an impressive $155 million in the U.S. The film, directed by Greta Gerwig, was projected to earn $150 million domestically and another $150 million internationally, but ended up surpassing those estimates. Barbie's worldwide box office opening is now projected to reach $337 million.
Barbie's premiere on Friday brought in $70.5 million domestically, including $22.3 million from Thursday previews, making it the biggest premiere of the year. This record-breaking debut outperformed other highly anticipated films such as The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.
In contrast, Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer, a period piece about the atomic bomb, grossed $33 million in its premiere, falling short of its projected $50 million opening weekend. Despite this, the film's performance was still considered strong, especially considering its reported $100 million budget.
Barbie has received mostly positive reviews from critics, with many praising its humor and unique visual style. However, some reviews have criticized the film for its promotional aspect and script. The film currently holds a 90% audience score and 90% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, slightly below Oppenheimer's 94% audience and critic score.
Overall, Barbie's impressive opening weekend has solidified its position as a major box office success. With its strong performance both domestically and internationally, the film has exceeded industry expectations and is poised to continue its success in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, Oppenheimer may not have reached its projected numbers, but it still managed to hold its own in a highly competitive movie weekend.