The Joint Efforts of 'Barbie' and 'Oppenheimer' Have Saved the Summer Box Office

The dual, highly anticipated releases of Greta Gerwig’s fantastical comedy Barbie and Christopher Nolan’s bleak biopic Oppenheimer have rescued the summer box office from superheroes and archaeologists. Come December, they may very well prove to be the saviors of the entire year.

With a combined $235 million, the two films have powered the highest-grossing box office weekend since 2019. Likewise, the collective efforts of Barbie and Oppenheimer are now responsible for the fourth highest opening weekend of all time, behind the debuts of Avengers: Endgame ($402 million), Avengers: Infinity War ($314 million), and Star Wars: The Force Awakens ($313 million).

Both films were propelled by the online phenomenon known as Barbenheimer, which saw scores of filmgoers buy tickets to see the two radically different movies on the same day.

“I don’t think anyone could have reasonably predicted this kind of confluence between Oppenheimer and Barbie,” Shawn Robbins, chief analyst at BoxOffice.com, told NBC News. “If you’re going to a theater right now, the communal experience is reminiscent of major Marvel and Star Wars films, but without those franchises remotely involved.”

Blockbuster auteur Nolan’s R-rated, action-free biopic unfolds across the course of three leisurely, talkative hours. Gerwig’s acerbic spin on Mattel’s signature toy, on the other hand, is a candy-colored, feminist romp which revels in beach dance sequences. Yet, surprisingly, they both deal similarly with the existential dread that accompanies the privilege of being alive.

Barbie grossed an astonishing $162 million in its first three days, shattering expectations of a $100 to $110 million debut. The final number includes $22.3 million earned in Thursday night previews; besting Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 for the highest preview gross of the year to date.

Gerwig’s film blasted through expectations extending even into Sunday, when the studio announced a $155 million opening based on projections from Saturday. Instead, it fell only 9 percent from its Saturday audience, making nearly $50 million on Sunday alone. Until now, The Super Mario Bros. Movie was the top grossing film of 2023, collecting $146 million across three days.

Barbie is also now the biggest debut of all time for a film directed by a woman. That honor previously went to Captain Marvel, which was directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck. Before that, Patty Jenkins held the spot as sole-director of 2017’s Wonder Woman, which opened to $103 million.

Meanwhile, Nolan settled for a second place opening weekend at the box office. The last time that happened was in 2015, when Big Hero 6 beat the filmmaker's Interstellar to the top spot. Oppenheimer was no slouch, however, outperforming expectations with an impressive $82.4 million.

Similarly, the Sunday estimate for Oppenheimer was lower than what the film ended up grossing. Going into the weekend, the studio had been predicting a $50 million start for the movie. That still would have been a rather unbelievable start for a non-franchise film—not to mention a stately period drama minus the spectacle Nolan's fans have come to expect.

Overseas, Barbie collected an additional $182 million from 70 markets, bringing its global earnings to $337 million. Oppenheimer earned an additional $93.7 million from 78 overseas territories, for an international gross of $174.4 million.

For both Barbie and Oppenheimer to over-perform during a summer in which surefire franchises like Mission: Impossible and Indiana Jones have disappointed is nothing short of remarkable. With audiences evidently less interested big budget action and superhero fare, studios may need to think outside of the box to keep the momentum going.