Cillian Murphy to Star in Oppenheimer, Margot Robbie as Barbie
Julian De Rosa | AFP | Getty Images; Stuart C. Wilson Getty Images
“Pappenheimer” is off to a hot start at the domestic box office.
Web hit “Barbie” grossed $22.3 million in Thursday night previews, the most of any film released so far in 2023, surpassing the $17.5 million debut of Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” and the $17.4 million opening of Sony’s “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.”
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Meanwhile, the three-hour R-rated “Oppenheimer” opened Thursday to $10.5 million. That’s in line with blockbusters like 2017’s “Wonder Woman” and this year’s live-action “The Little Mermaid.”
into the weekend, Warner Bros. ‘ “Barbie” is projected to gross more than $140 million (or more) in its first three days in theaters. Meanwhile, Universal’s “Oppenheimer” appears destined to take in at least $50 million, with some box office analysts predicting it could top $60 million.
Together, the two films grossed $200 million during their debuts. With ticket sales ramping up for “Mission: Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part 1,” “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” and “The Voice of Liberty,” it could be the biggest weekend of the year so far.
The excitement is much-needed at the domestic box office after recent big-budget films like The Flash and Raiders of the Lost Ark failed to live up to expectations.
The major movie chains said box office performances for both films were strong this weekend and have added more screenings to meet demand.
Some 40,000 members of the AMC theater loyalty program purchased tickets to see “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” that day, and the National Association of Theater Owners expects more than 200,000 moviegoers to see both films that day.
Disclosure: Comcast is the parent company of NBCUniversal and CNBC.
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