Barbie surpassed Marvel Studios’ superhero film Captain Marvel , directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, which grossed US$1.13 billion worldwide., a historical drama about the development of the atomic bomb, regained its second-place position, with the other half of the Barbenheimer phenomenon taking in an estimated US$18.8 million over the weekend.
The success of Barbie and Oppenheimer has come amid a backdrop of turmoil in Hollywood, as a historic double-strike by writers and actors has brought productions to a halt. While on strike, union rules prohibit actors from promoting their films, imperiling the marketing events for upcoming releases as talks show no end in sight.
In its debut weekend, Universal’s vampire film The Last Voyage Of The Demeter took a frighteningly distant fifth place, at just US$6.5 million.