NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� A week later, the boom has not abated.
Seven days after Greta Gerwig鈥檚 鈥淏arbie鈥� and Christopher Nolan鈥檚 鈥淥ppenheimer鈥� , the two films held unusually strongly in theaters. 鈥淏arbie鈥� took in a massive $93 million in its second weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday. 鈥淥ppenheimer鈥� stayed in second with a robust $46.2 million. Sales for the two movies dipped 43% and 44%, respectably 鈥� well shy of the usual week-two drops.
鈥淏补谤产别苍丑别颈尘别谤鈥� has proven to be not a one-weekend phenomenon but an ongoing box-office bonanza. The two movies combined have already surpassed $1 billion in worldwide ticket sales. Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for data firm Comscore, call it 鈥渁 touchstone moment for movies, moviegoers and movie theaters.鈥�
鈥淗aving two movies from rival studios linked in this way and both boosting each other's fortunes 鈥� both box-office wise and it terms of their profile 鈥� I don't know if there's a comp for this in the annals of box-office history," said Dergarabedian. 鈥淭here's really no comparison for this.鈥�
Following its year-best $162 million opening, the pink-infused pop sensation of 鈥淏arbie鈥� saw remarkably sustained business through the week and into the weekend. The film outpaced Nolan's 鈥淭he Dark Knight" to have the best first 11 days in theaters of any Warner Bros. release ever.
鈥淏arbie鈥� has rapidly accumulated $351.4 million in U.S. and Canadian theaters, a rate that will soon make it the biggest box-office hit of the summer. Every day it鈥檚 played, 鈥淏arbie" has made at least $20 million.
And the 鈥淏arbie鈥� effect isn't just in North America. The film made $122.2 million internationally over the weekend. Its global tally has reached $775 million. It's the kind of business that astounds even veteran studio executives.
鈥淭hat's a crazy number,鈥� said Jeff Goldstein, distribution chief for Warner Bros. 鈥淭here's just a built-in audience that wants to be part of the zeitgeist of the moment. Wherever you go, people are wearing pink. Pink is taking over the world."
Amid the frenzy, 鈥淏arbie鈥� is already attracting a lot of repeat moviegoers. Goldstein estimates that 12% of sales are people going back with friends or family to see it again.
For a movie industry that has been trying to regain its pre-pandemic footing 鈥� and that now finds itself largely shuttered due to actors and screenwriters strikes 鈥� the sensations of 鈥淏arbie鈥� and 鈥淥ppenheimer鈥� when everything lines up just right.
鈥淧ost-pandemic, there's no ceiling and there's no floor," Goldstein said. "The movies that miss really miss big time, and the movies that work really work big time."
Universal Pictures' meanwhile, is performing more like a superhero movie than a three-hour film about scientists talking.
Nolan鈥檚 drama starring Cillian Murphy as atomic bomb physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer has accrued $174.1 million domestically thus far. With an additional $72.4 million in international cinemas, 鈥淥ppenheimer鈥� has already surpassed $400 million globally.
Showings in IMAX have typically been sold out. 鈥淥ppenheimer鈥� has made $80 million worldwide on IMAX. The large-format exhibitor said Sunday that it will extend the film's run through Aug. 13.
The week鈥檚 top new release, Walt Disney Co.鈥檚 an adaptation of the Disney theme park attraction, was easily overshadowed by the 鈥淏补谤产别苍丑别颈尘别谤鈥� blitz. The film, which cost about $150 million, debuted with $24 million domestically and $9 million in overseas sales. 鈥淗aunted Mansion,鈥� directed by Justin Simien (鈥淒ear White People,鈥� 鈥淏ad Hair鈥�) and starring an ensemble of LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish, Owen Wilson, Danny DeVito and Rosario Dawson, struggled to overcome mediocre reviews.
鈥淭alk to Me,鈥� the A24 supernatural horror film, fared better. It debuted with $10 million. The film, directed by Australian filmmakers Danny and Michael Philippou and starring Sophie Wilde, was a midnight premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January and received (95% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes). It was made for a modest $4.5 million.
While theaters being flush with moviegoers has been a huge boon to the film industry, it鈥檚 been tougher sledding for Tom Cruise, the so-called savior of the movies last summer with 鈥淭op Gun: Maverick.鈥� 鈥淢ission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part I,鈥� which debuted the week before the arrival of 鈥淏arbenheimer,鈥� grossed $10.7 million in its third weekend. The film , has grossed $139.2 million domestically and $309.3 million oveseas.
Instead, the sleeper hit 鈥淪ound of Freedom鈥� has been the best performing non-鈥淏补谤产别苍丑别颈尘别谤鈥� release in theaters. The Angel Studios鈥� release, which is counting crowdfunding pay-it-forward sales in its box office totals, made $12.4 million in its fourth weekend, bringing its haul thus far to nearly $150 million.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. 鈥淏arbie,鈥� $93 million.
2. 鈥淥pppenheimer,鈥� $46.2 million.
3. 鈥淗aunted Mansion,鈥� $24.2 million.
4. 鈥淪ound of Freedom,鈥� $12.4 million.
5. 鈥淢ission: Impossible 鈥� Dead Reckoning Part One,鈥� $10.7 million.
6. 鈥淭alk to Me,鈥� $10 million.
7. 鈥淚ndiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,鈥� $4 million.
8. 鈥淓lemental,鈥� $3.4 million.
9. 鈥淚nsidious: The Red Door,鈥� $3.2 million.
10. 鈥淩ocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani,鈥� $1.6 million.
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Jake Coyle, The Associated Press
