Undoubtedly boosted by the popularity of the “Barbenheimer” double feature, the feminist flick about a doll come to life and the historical drama about the father of the atomic bomb over-performed in the United States and Canada. The viral social media phenomenon, inspired by the same-day release of ‘Barbie’ and ‘Oppenheimer,’ is the best advertising campaign for moviegoing that no studio could’ve come up with. And the record is unlikely to be beaten any time soon, as the ongoing strikes by Hollywood’s writers and actors will prevent talent from promoting forthcoming work.Ĭompany Town ‘Barbie’ + ‘Oppenheimer’ = ‘Barbenheimer.’ Why Hollywood needs the movie mashup That’s a huge deal, especially when you consider that - before “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” - the domestic box office was lagging 16.1% and 6.6% behind the year-to-date earnings of 20, respectively, according to Comscore. And unlike the aforementioned record-setters, neither “Barbie” nor “Oppenheimer” is a superhero movie, sequel or reboot - signaling a triumph for (relatively) original storytelling in an industry increasingly dependent on preexisting franchises. This is the first time two competing movies have opened to more than $100 million and $80 million in the same frame.

Historically, the highest-grossing weekends have been primarily fueled by one major franchise installment dominating the market (“Avengers: Endgame” in 2019, “Avengers: Infinity War” in 2018, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in 2015). Perhaps even more important is how those records were set. The combined returns of “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” helped make this the highest-grossing weekend since the beginning of the pandemic in early 2020, according to measurement firm Comscore, and the fourth-highest grossing weekend ever at the domestic box office ($302 million, per Sunday estimates).

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