NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� In there were many winners. Greta Gerwig, who . Christopher Nolan, who set a non-Batman career high. Movie theaters, more crowded than anytime post-pandemic. Lovers of . The color . .
But one of the most important triumphs in the moviegoing monsoon of 鈥淏arbenheimer鈥� was originality. Here are two movies that are neither sequels nor reboots pushing the box office to highs not seen in years. 鈥淏arbie鈥� and 鈥淥ppenheimer鈥� became a meme because of their worlds-apart differences but they're each indelibly the work of those filmmakers.
鈥淏arbie,鈥� based on the Mattel doll, had some extremely well-known intellectual property going for it. And the story of J. Robert Oppenheimer and the atomic bomb comes from . Nolan is himself a brand, too.
But Hollywood鈥檚 biggest zeitgeist in years was propelled by a pair of movies without a roman numeral, a Jedi or a superhero in sight. At the same time, some of the most dependable franchises in movies, from Marvel to 鈥淔ast and the Furious,鈥� are no longer leading the pack.
The movie business may be shifting. Audiences are showing a renewed taste for something fresh. 鈥淏arbenheimer鈥� could, just maybe, be a turning point.
鈥淚鈥檝e always joked that if there鈥檚 a tornado movie that works that the next year there will be three tornado movies. There鈥檚 an internal prejudice to doing what works,鈥� says Richard Gelfond, IMAX chief executive. 鈥淚鈥檓 hopeful that these movies were original by noted filmmakers will convince studios to lean into that direction rather than doing what鈥檚 safe.
鈥淭he numbers don鈥檛 lie,鈥� added Gelfond.
And the numbers are eyepopping. The total box office in U.S. and Canadian theaters on the weekend was more than $300 million, the fourth highest ever. Warner Bros.鈥� 鈥淏arbie鈥� grossed $162 million domestically, the best opening of the year. Universal鈥檚 鈥淥ppenheimer鈥� took in $82.4 million. Those results, riding critical acclaim and months of , nearly doubled expectations and astonished Hollywood.
In the wake of 鈥淏arbenheimer,鈥� many are hoping Hollywood will draw a lesson other than greenlighting more toy adaptations and the inevitable 鈥淏arbie鈥� sequel.
鈥淓veryone came out this weekend for two ORIGINAL, smart, quality movies,鈥� wrote Clare Binns, managing director of indie distributor Picturehouse, on Twitter. 鈥淚t鈥檚 what audiences want. Reboots, superheroes and films with bloated budgets that often cover a lack of ideas -- time to take stock. No algorithms this weekend.鈥�
Lately, some of the movies鈥� biggest franchises have shown signs of wear and tear.
coming 42 years after 鈥淩aiders of the Lost Ark,鈥� has It鈥檚 made $335 million worldwide with a budget more than double that of 鈥淏arbie,鈥� which cost $145 million.
The 10th 鈥淔ast and the Furious鈥� movie, 鈥淔ast X,鈥� was a dud domestically, though international sales have been robust. In three days, 鈥淏arbie鈥� already surpassed its total North American haul of $145.9 million.
The seventh 鈥淢ission: Impossible鈥� film, fell shy of expectations before getting blown away by 鈥淏arbenheimer.鈥� It declined 64% in its second weekend.
Meanwhile, recent Marvel films and DC movies haven鈥檛 approached the kinds of grosses once assured of comic-book adaptations. Marvel's 鈥淕uardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,鈥� with $843 million worldwide, has been a big seller but movies like 鈥淎nt-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" and 鈥淭he Flash鈥� have fallen well shy of expectations.
The nostalgia business isn鈥檛 going anywhere, nor is Hollywood鈥檚 dependence on remakes and sequels. In last year鈥檚 top 10 films at the box office, one movie was a reboot (鈥淭he Batman鈥�) and the rest were sequels.
But such overdependence on more-of-the-same was sure to run out of steam one day 鈥� and this year鈥檚 best performers are coming from some new places.
鈥淭he Super Mario Bros. Movie鈥� ($1.3 billion worldwide) isn鈥檛 anyone鈥檚 idea of cutting-edge cinema but it reflects
The year鈥檚 second-biggest hit, 鈥淪pider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse鈥� ($375.2 million domestically) is yet one more 鈥淪pider-Man鈥� movie. But it and its predecessor, 鈥淚nto the Spider-Verse,鈥� and expanding the notion of who can be a superhero.
Originality can be riskier for studios, but the payoff can be immense 鈥� . His reigning franchise goliath, 鈥淎vatar,鈥� reached $2.3 billion with 鈥淎vatar: The Way of Water,鈥� a futuristic, sci-fi epic that essentially created its own IP.
What else is working? Movies that appeal to audiences that have historically been underserved. 鈥淐reed III," starring Michael B. Jordan, and ended up with more than $275 million globally on a $75 million budget. 鈥淪ound of Freedom," from the faith-based distributor Angel Studios, has made $124 million in three weeks 鈥� though its distributor is using an unusual 鈥淧ay it Forward鈥� purchasing program.
And of course, horror remains the easiest money. 鈥淚nsidious: The Red Door鈥� is just the latest in long, bloody line of low-budget, high-performance Blumhouse titles. It's made $156 million worldwide on a $16 million budget.
鈥淏arbie鈥� and 鈥淥ppenheimer" are widely expected to play strongly for weeks. They've reminded everyone of the limitless cultural potency of the movies. When stars, marketing muscle and filmmaking vision collide, anything can happen. And, sure, it doesn't hurt when their names make a funny smushed-together nickname.
Whether that momentum will dissipate in the waning weeks of the summer will be left up to a series of releases 鈥� 鈥淭eenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem,鈥� 鈥淗aunted Mansion,鈥� 鈥淕ran Turismo,鈥� 鈥淪trays,鈥� 鈥淏lue Beetle鈥� 鈥� that may struggle to keep the spark alive. Meanwhile, the has begun to e. Hollywood remains
Since the pandemic, studios and theater owners have tried various ways to bring back moviegoers to cinemas after the rush to streaming platforms 鈥� everything from Tom Cruise jumping off a cliff to But it could be that what moviegoers are most craving is the chance to see something new.
Mark Harris, author of the Hollywood history Five Movies and the Birth of the New Hollywood,鈥� believes a developing shift has 鈥渂ecome undeniable.鈥�
鈥淚n 鈥楶ictures at a Revolution鈥� I wrote that an unexpected big hit is much more disruptive to the Hollywood system than a big flop is,鈥� Harris wrote on Twitter. "That鈥檚 where we are: TWO surprise smashes that suggest you get people back to the movies by giving them what they haven鈥檛 seen, not what they have."
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Jake Coyle, The Associated Press
