But one of the most important triumphs in the moviegoing monsoon of “Barbenheimer” was originality. Here are two movies that are neither sequels nor reboots pushing the box office to highs not seen in years. “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” became a meme because of their worlds-apart differences but they're each indelibly the work of those filmmakers.
“I’ve always joked that if there’s a tornado movie that works that the next year there will be three tornado movies. There’s an internal prejudice to doing what works,” says Richard Gelfond, IMAX chief executive. “I’m hopeful that these movies were original by noted filmmakers will convince studios to lean into that direction rather than doing what’s safe.And the numbers are eyepopping. The total box office in U.S.
The seventh “Mission: Impossible” film, “Dead Reckoning Part One,” fell shy of expectations before getting blown away by “Barbenheimer.” It declined 64% in its second weekend. “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” isn’t anyone’s idea of cutting-edge cinema but it reflects Hollywood’s new embrace of the giant gaming industry.