“GT Racing: Based on a True Story” and “Barbie” The video game adaptation has just overtaken Greta Gerwig’s pop hit for the top spot at the box office, according to studio estimates on Sunday.
Sony Pictures reported that “Gran Turismo” opened to $17.3 million over the weekend, while Warner Bros. estimated that “Barbie” would take $17.1 million in its sixth weekend. Those totals are subject to change when final ticket sales are tallied on Monday.
Due to a few issues, it’s almost certain that “Barbie” sold more tickets Friday through Sunday than any other movie, even if “Gran Turismo” took the checkerboard flag.
One reason: It was a normal weekend in theaters.american movie theater The Second National Film Day Tickets are $4 for all movies and screenings at nearly every theater nationwide on Sunday.
“Barbie” is expected to be easily the most-watched show on sale day, especially as a driver of repeat viewings. “Barbie” grossed $594.8 million domestically, surpassing “Super Mario Bros. Movie” ($574 million) became the top-grossing domestic film of the year. With $1.34 billion worldwide, “Barbie” will soon surpass the $1.35 million global top spot “Mario,” too.
National Movie Day is designed to lure moviegoers to theaters during the off-season and to make up for lost ticket sales by selling lots of popcorn.Last year’s event attracted 8.1 million moviegoers, Making it the busiest day of the year for theaters. Warner Bros. estimates that “Barbie” will take in $7.8 million on Sunday, meaning nearly 2 million people watched the film that day.
So which is the hottest movie in theaters this weekend?
“Barbie,” said Jeff Goldstein, Warner Bros. distribution chief, “there’s no doubt about it.”
While “Barbie” was the most-watched entry of the weekend, “Gran Turismo” had a slight, and somewhat debatable, edge in terms of grosses. Sony also counted $3.9 million from previews prior to Thursday and $1.4 million from Thursday previews for Gran Turismo’s weekend gross. This accounting, while common practice in Hollywood, stretches the definition of a premiere “weekend.”
“We hyped it up just because Barbie had an incredible reach,” Goldstein said. “Taking the No. 1 spot would make it five consecutive No. 1 weekends since its release, which is a bit out of place for the ‘Barbie’ filmmakers who really deserve credit.”
Sony executives declined to comment.
Either way, it’s a so-so start for Gran Turismo, which cost around $60 million to make. But the film, which follows a young man whose love of PlayStation video games helps him become a real-life race car driver, was well received by audiences. Moviegoers gave Neil Blomkamp’s film an “A” CinemaScore.
The ongoing strike by actors and writers has robbed studios of the ability to use their cast to promote films. To help spread the word about Gran Turismo, Sony hosted weeks of preview screenings and fan events.
“Obviously, every movie is trying to be number one,” said Paul Dergarabedian, a senior media analyst at data firm Comscore. “But at the end of the day, ‘Barbie’ is just an uncompromising global blockbuster. No matter how you slice it, no matter how the weekend turns out, ‘Barbie’ is always a winner. Sony doesn’t have a star to promote the movie, only You can rely on your audience to be the face of your marketing.”
Last week’s top movies, DC Comics hit theaters “Blue Beetle” It slipped to third place in its second week, with $12.8 million in revenue. The Warner Bros. film grossed $46.3 million in two weeks, marking yet another DC flop.
Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” No. 4, with $9 million in its sixth week.like it “Pappenheimer” Like its siblings, Universal’s release far outstrips most films’ drop in theaters. “Oppenheimer” has surpassed $300 million domestically and $777.1 million worldwide.
A number of other new films have also been released.MGM’s High School Comedy Bottoms The film got off to a strong start in limited release, earning an average of $51,600 per showing in 10 theaters. Liam Neeson’s thriller “Retribution” opened to $3.3 million in 1,750 theaters with Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions.
Sports drama “The Hill,” starring Dennis Quaid, took in $2.5 million from 1,570 locations by Briarcliff and Open Road. “Golda,” starring Helen Mirren as Israel’s former prime minister, opened at 883 theaters on Bleecker Street to $2 million.
According to Comscore, the North American summer box office is just $70 million short of breaking $4 billion. After an up-and-down season in which several blockbusters such as “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” “The Flash” and “Mission: Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part 1” fell short of expectations, “Barbie” and “Olympiad” Benheimer” spurred a comeback. If the summer box office can reach $4 billion, it will be the first time since 2019.
Estimated Friday-Sunday ticket sales for U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic data will be released on Monday.
1. “Gran Turismo: Based on a True Story,” $17.3 million.
2. “Barbie,” $17.1 million.
3. “Blue Beetle,” $12.8 million.
4. “Oppenheimer,” $9 million.
5. “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem,” $6.1 million.
6. “The Megalodon 2: The Trench,” $5.1 million.
7. “The Vagabond,” $4.7 million.
8. “Retribution,” $3.3 million.
9. “The Mountain,” $2.5 million.
10. “The Haunted House,” $2.1 million.
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