Greta Gerwig's directorial vision, Barbie, crowned the latest entrant to the billion-dollar movie club, has set alight both the box office and discussions about what it means to have a global blockbuster directed by a solo female director. It achieved this staggering milestone in merely 17 days, eclipsing the efforts of past blockbusters and breathing new life into the iconic character, portrayed on the screen by Margot Robbie.
Debuting with a bang on July 21, Barbie racked up $155 million during its opening weekend in the United States, which allowed it to dethrone the previous record holder for a female-directed film, Captain Marvel. This performance, coupled with Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer, helped script one of the most successful box office weekends in U.S history. It's even more notable that the pair made so many people go into theaters without the pull of an Avengers, Star Wars or a new Avatar title. Such an achievement is nothing short of spectacular, especially in a post-pandemic world, where digital streaming seemed poised to cannibalize the traditional movie experience.
While Barbie revels in its success, Warner Bros.' shark-infested sequel, Meg 2: The Trench secured second place, raking in an impressive $30 million domestically, and a whopping $142 million globally. Meanwhile, Nolan's Oppenheimer has achieved its own remarkable feats. With a global collection of over $552 million, it stands as the 8th biggest IMAX film to release worldwide and is the 2nd fastest IMAX film to breach the $100 million mark in specific markets.
