Projected box office numbers are now in for Barbie and Oppenheimer this weekend in an epic, highly-anticipated event dubbed Barbenheimer.
While Barbie’s numbers vary widely, Variety reports that the Margot Robbie-led film is expected to earn $95 million to $110 million in 4,2000 North American theaters next weekend.
However, Warner Bros., who is distributing the film, estimates that the film could earn another $75 million at the box office.
Competitors and exhibitors think the film has the potential to earn $140 million from Friday to Sunday
Both Barbie and Oppenheimer are set to release on July 21, but Variety believes the film about the beloved doll will reign supreme at the box office.
The box office has fallen! Projected weekend numbers for Barbenheimer are in now, as Barbie and Oppenheimer are set to go head-to-head at the box office this weekend.
The outlet reports that the Cillian Murphy-starrer will take in $50 million from 3,600 theaters this weekend. Additionally, screenings may be limited due to the film’s three-hour run time.
AMC Theaters, the largest movie chain in the United States, has shown a glimpse of demand. 40,000 people have now bought tickets to see two movies on the same day – double what AMC reported last week.
Last week Oppenheimer director Christopher Nolan revealed why he thinks it’s ‘terrifying’ his film is being released on the same day as Barbie.
“Summertime, a healthy market is always crowded, and we’ve been doing it for a long time,” Nolan told IGN.
‘I think for those of us who care about cinema, we’ve been really waiting for a crowded market again, and now it’s here and it’s great.’
Oppenheimer star Cillian Murphy also sees double booking as a positive.
‘I think it’s great. I mean, I’m going to watch Barbie. I can’t wait to see it,’ he told IGN.
‘I think it’s great for the industry and for the audience that we have two amazing films from amazing filmmakers coming out on the same day. A whole day can be spent at the movies, what could be better than that?’
Wildly Anticipated: Barbie will be released on July 21, the same day as the drama Oppenheimer in an event affectionately dubbed ‘Barbenheimer’ by fans.
What a doll! Variety reports that the Margot Robbie-led film is expected to earn $95 million to $110 million in 4,2000 North American theaters next weekend.
Both films are hoping to make it at the box office this year after spending more than $100 million each in production – and the stage is set for a head-to-head battle as they prepare for release on the same day.
Critics are praising both flicks, albeit for different reasons, and there is growing Oscar buzz for some of the leading stars, notably Margot Robbie (Barbie), Ryan Gosling (Kane), and Cillian Murphy (J. Robert Oppenheimer).
Greta Gerwig’s Barbie sees Robbie, 33, lead the role of the Barbie doll alongside her boyfriend Ken, played by Gosling, 42. The cast is one of Hollywood’s powerhouses, with Will Ferrell as Mattel’s CEO and Helen Mirren as the narrator.
Life is plastic, it’s fantastic! Greta Gerwig’s Barbie sees Robbie, 33, lead the cast as a Barbie doll with her boyfriend Ken Gosling, 42, playing the role.
‘It’s awesome’: Last week Oppenheimer director Christopher Nolan revealed why he thinks it’s ‘terrible’ his film is being released on the same day as Barbie
Marvel stars Simu Liu, Issa Rae, Michael Cera, and Kate McKinnon star as residents of Barbieland, while Rhea Perlman, America Ferrera, and Alexandra Shipp are also attached to the film.
From the few teasers that have been released, it looks like a fish-out-of-water comedy that plays on the quirky premise of what can happen when Mattel dolls are left to their own devices.
The film opens with a glimpse of Barbie and Ken’s dream life in Barbie Land. However, when they are forced to live among humans, they realize that the real world is not so happy.
Far from the doom and glam of Oppenheimer, this is Christopher Nolan’s drama about the scientist known as the father of the atomic bomb.
Oppenheimer has an all-star cast and is led by Cillian Murphy, who plays theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer plays the role. The movie also features a cast including Emily Blunt, Robert Downey Jr. and Matt Damon.