Here are the numbers from the biggest box office battle of the year
After months of Barbenheimer hype, Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer and the Margot Robbie/ Ryan Gosling starrer Barbie finally hit the theaters on 21st July. The highly anticipated double-feature has been one of the most talked about box-office battle’s in recent cinema history, and their opening weekend numbers are finally in.
Domestic vs Global Box-Office Results
As per a report by trade analyst Sumoit Kadel and Ramesh Bala, the war biopic Oppenheimer took the lead and netted a cool Rs 50 crore at the Indian box-office, as compared to Barbie which earned Rs 18.5 crores in the first three days. However, it is worth mentioning that the tickets for Oppenheimer are set higher than regular films, with opening weekend shows retailing between INR 750 - INR 1,850 per ticket in leading metros like Mumbai and Delhi as compared to the regular prime-time rates of INR 250- INR 800. Despite the steep ticket prices, entertainment platform BookMyShow has revealed that they have sold more than 1.4 million tickets for Oppenheimer, and an additional 500,000+ for the movie Barbie. The ticketing giant has contributed to more than 70% of the box-office revenue for both films in India.
While Oppenheimer has made a bigger splash in India, its Greta Gerwig's Barbie that takes the global win. Contrary to the Indian box-office, Barbie has outperformed Oppenheimer at the global box office by earning $337 million in just three days. The film currently holds the position as the biggest Hollywood opener of the year, and sets a new record for the highest international opener led by a female director. In the race for Barbie vs Oppenheimer, Barbie has taken the lead in countries like North America, South America, Europe and Australia. As opposed to Asia (excluding China) where Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer is seen ruling the box office.
What is Oppenheimer about?
Shifting between the 1920s - 1959, Oppenheimer tells the story of Robert J Oppenheimer, popularly known as the father of the atomic bomb. The black and white epic details the events of his life that lead up to the invention of the atomic bomb. The movie follows a non-linear timeline, which shifts between his time studying as a physicist in Cambridge and Germany, to the security hearings, and Strauss Confirmation hearings in the 1950s. Directed by Christopher Nolan, the biopic features Cillian Murphy as Robert J Oppenheimer, and Emily Blunt as his wife Katherine Kitty Oppenheimer in the lead. The film also includes powerful performances by Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr, Florence Pugh, Josh Hartnett, Casey Affleck, and Rami Malek, amongst other leading actors.
What is Barbie about?
Taking the world over in a pink frenzy, Barbie is a live-action adventure film based on Mattel’s iconic Barbie doll created in the late 1950s. Set in the fictional town of Barbieland, the movie follows stereotypical Barbie and Ken as they step out of the comfort of their perfect home, and venture into the imperfect real-world. The movie explores the serious themes of feminism, gender-wars, self-worth, and societal-pressures depicted through the fun and nostalgia filled world of Barbies. Directed by Greta Gerwig, the movie stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling as the leading characters. In addition to the leading pair, the film boasts an all-star cast featuring Will Ferrel, Issa Rae, America Ferrera, Emma Mackey, Simu Lee, and Michael Cera amongst a band of other popular actors.
While Barbie and Oppenheimer both fall under opposite ends of the film spectrum, the duo has been popularly clubbed together by cinephiles given that both films share the same release date, hold immense star-power, and are backed by critically acclaimed directors. Fans in India can enjoy watching both Barbie and Oppenheimer streaming in cinemas across the country.