‘Barbie’ Rakes In $155M In Opening Weekend & Makes History While ‘Oppenheimer’ Has Impressive Outing

Jul 24, 2023

Greta Gerwig wears many hats — she is an actress, scriptwriter and director. Gerwig’s foray into the movie world started based on circumstances. She was originally on the path to becoming a playwright but turned to acting when she wasn’t admitted into a playwriting MFA program. In 2006, she was cast in a minor role in Joe Swanberg's “LOL,” and featured in several mumblecore projects. 

Although mainstream success seemed elusive, Gerwig continued to work on her craft until 2010, when she appeared in Noah Baumbach's “Greenberg.” In 2017, Gerwig navigated into directing with her directorial debut in the coming-of-age movie “Lady Bird.” The movie received widespread critical acclaim, setting her on the path to becoming one of the most successful and celebrated women directors of all time.

Meanwhile, Christopher Nolan needs no introduction; he is a filmmaker par excellence and the recipient of many accolades. He took an early interest in filmmaking at the tender age of 7. Christopher would borrow his father’s Super 8 camera, shooting short films with his action figures. After graduating from college, Nolan pursued his interest in filmmaking and storytelling. For years, he worked on several projects, but it wasn’t until 2000 that the movie “Memento” showed his filmmaking and storytelling prowess.

On July 21, 2023, two of the most anticipated movies, “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer,” premiered in cinemas worldwide. Gerwig wrote and directed “Barbie" while Nolan wrote and directed “Oppenheimer.” Since the movies’ premieres, they have made impressive outings, with Barbie breaking the box office record for a female director with a whopping $155 million in its opening hours.

“Barbie” is a fantasy comedy film directed by Greta Gerwig and written by Gerwig and Noah Baumbach. The movie, which is based on Mattel’s Barbie fashion dolls, is the first live-action Barbie film after several animated versions.

The film features a star-studded cast, including Margot Robbie as Barbie and Ryan Gosling as Ken. Other cast members that appear in the movie include America Ferrera, Kate McKinnon, Michael Cera, Ariana Greenblatt, Simu Liu, Issa Rae, Rhea Perlman, Helen Mirren and Will Ferrell.

“Barbie” follows Barbie and Ken on their journey to self-discovery following Barbie’s existential crisis. The film is nothing like any of the other CGI animated versions that were earlier released. It is progressive, portraying a matriarchal society where all women are self-confident, self-sufficient and successful. While their male counterparts spend most of their time engaging in recreational activities, the Barbies hold on to important job positions. They are decision-makers like lawyers, politicians and doctors in the Barbie verse.

The idea for the live adaptation of the film has been in the works for years, It was announced in September 2009 by Universal Pictures with Laurence Mark as the producer. But over time, many changes came into play, with changes made in the production team, writing and even the cast. The film made headway in October 2018 after rights were transferred to Warner Bros. Pictures. Robbie was announced as Barbie in 2019, and Gerwig was announced as director and co-writer with Baumbach in 2021. In 2022, the rest of the cast members were announced, and filming took place across three locations.

For months, movie lovers were excited about the same date premiere of “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer,” so much so that memes and the “Barbieheimer” hashtag started trending on several social media platforms. As anticipated, the films premiered on July 21, 2023, with movie lovers trooping into theaters to see their chosen favorites.

The discussion of what movie would come out top of the box office was rife before the premiere, with fans tipping their anticipated favorite to take the lead. Barely hours after the two movies premiered, “Barbie” put an end to that conversation with a massive box office record-breaking outing. According to Variety, the Gerwig-directed comedy fantasy film made a whopping $155 million in its opening hours, making it the biggest debut ever for a film directed by a woman.

Per Variety, “Captain Marvel,” which was co-directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, previously held the title with an earning of $153 million in 2019. While  “Wonder Woman,” directed by Patty Jenkins, held the record for a movie solely directed by a woman, with an earning of $103 million debut in 2017.

The record for the biggest debut ever for a film directed by a woman was just one of the records that the “Barbie” film smashed. It was also the movie with the biggest opening weekend of the year, breaking the record set by “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” which earned $146 million earlier in the year.

“Oppenheimer” also had an impressive opening weekend though not up to the numbers made by its counterpart in the “Barbieheimer” tag. The Nolan film has made an impressive $80.5 million since it premiered and looks set to earn more revenue in the coming months.

What do you think about “Barbie” breaking the Box Office record for a female director on opening weekend? What do you think of the live adaptation film? Which of the #Barbieheimer movies have you seen? Let us know — and pass this article on to friends, family members and “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” fans.