Barbie surpassed Oppenheimer at the box office in Thursday night previews.
Barbie surpassed Oppenheimer at the box office in Thursday night previews.
For months there have been rumors about a phenomenon called Barbenheimer. That’s because two very different films — Barbie, a vivid fantasy comedy directed by Greta Gerwig, and Oppenheimer, a dark historical thriller directed by Christopher Nolan — both hit theaters on the same day: July 21, 2023. Viewers have wondered which film will resonate better with audiences, and many have vowed to see both on the same day.
Now that the numbers for the film’s Thursday night previews are in, Barbie has them surpassed Oppenheimer many times over. Barbie earned $22.3 million from previews, a record high for 2023. That beats previews for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, both of which grossed just over $17 million when they opened Thursday night.
In comparison, Oppenheimer earned $10.5 million as of Thursday night. While that number doesn’t match Barbie’s, it’s a very impressive opening on its own, surpassing Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny and Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One.
Both films are expected to generate strong revenues at the box office. Oppenheimer is expecting an opening weekend of $49 million, while Barbie is expecting a whopping $110 million at the domestic box office.
Should I watch Oppenheimer or Barbie first?
While there is no one right way to watch these films, it might be a better idea to watch Oppenheimer first and then Barbie. “Oppenheimer” is a dark, depressing film about a real event, while “Barbie” offers just the right amount of joy to cheer you up.
The Barbie stars are Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, America Ferrera, Simu Liu, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Scott Evans, Kate McKinnon, Ariana Greenblatt, Alexandra Shipp, Emma Mackey, Issa Rae, Michael Cera, Hari Nef, Will Ferrell, Helen Mirren, Dua Lipa and more.
Oppenheimer stars Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., Florence Pugh, Rami Malek, Benny Safdie, Michael Angarano, Josh Hartnett, Kenneth Branagh, Dane DeHaan, Alden Ehrenreich, Matthew Modine, Jack Quaid, David Dastmalachian, Jason Clarke, Josh Peck, Devon Bostick, Gary Oldman and Casey Affleck.