The DC superhero flick “Blue Beetle” clinched the top spot in weekend box office sales, amassing a decent $25.4 million on its debut. This knocked “Barbie” off its pedestal, a film that had painted theaters pink with its unparalleled success for an entire month.
Barbie still finds success amid superheroes
But, the wave of “Barbie” hasn’t receded just yet. Greta Gerwig’s directorial triumph, recently crowned as Warner Bros.’ most lucrative domestic release, almost reclaimed its number one position with a fifth-weekend collection of $21.5 million. To date, its domestic earnings are an impressive $567.3 million, with a staggering global collection of $1.28 billion.
The other noteworthy film, “Oppenheimer”, has also maintained a commendable performance deep into its theater run.
Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” managed to amass $10.6 million in its fifth week. Currently, with a total domestic collection of $285.2 million, it has gained the unique status of being the highest-grossing film to never secure a weekend’s top spot at the box office. The last film to hold this peculiar record was 2016’s “Sing”, overshadowed by “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” and “Hidden Figures”, and it netted $270.3 million.
In other news, patrons were spotted buying tickets beneath a marquee showcasing “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” at the Los Feliz Theatre in Los Angeles on July 28, 2023.
Blue Beetle had a lowkey debut for DC
“Blue Beetle”, with Xolo Maridueña as its lead, had a somewhat subdued debut by DC standards. Although initially intended for an exclusive streaming launch, Warner Bros. chose to release this first-of-its-kind Latino superhero DC film in theaters during the generally slow late summer season. Despite its relatively modest production budget of around $105 million, the movie, directed by Ángel Manuel Soto and penned by Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer, garnered positive reviews. “Blue Beetle”, with its unique Hispanic-led cast, stands at a commendable 76% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
However, it had to brave a few challenges: not only was it contending with “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” but the looming threat of Hurricane Hilary in Southern California might also have impacted its sales. Additionally, due to an ongoing actors’ strike, the film’s cast wasn’t available for promotions.
On another note, Universal Pictures’ adult-themed animated film “Strays”, voiced by the likes of Will Ferrell and Jamie Foxx, settled for fifth place with a total of $8.4 million. The movie faced stiff competition from “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem”, which raked in an equivalent amount on its third weekend and boasts a cumulative domestic collection of $88.1 million.
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