“Barbenheimer,” which refers to the newly released films “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer,” earned an estimated $235.5 million U.S. at the North American box office over the weekend.
“Barbie” generated $155 million U.S. in ticket sales during its first three days in movie theatres, the highest opening weekend total for any movie in 2023.
Rival new release “Oppenheimer” earned an estimated $80.5 million U.S. during its debut weekend.
More than 18.5 million tickets were sold for the combination of “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer,” according to data from EntTelligence.
“Barbenheimer” refers to a social media sensation where people planned to see both movies during their debut weekend. The popular meme helped to drive ticket sales for both films, say analysts.
With additional ticket sales from the new “Mission Impossible” and “Spider-Man” films, the weekend box office is expected to surpass $300 million U.S., its highest total of the year so far.
The success of “Barbenheimer” comes as the North American box office continues to struggle, with other summer blockbuster movies such as “The Flash” and Pixar’s animated “Elemental” underperforming expectations.
