It’s been a summer of impressive box office performances. As the pink-hued and slightly explosive wave of ‘Barbenheimer’ restored hopes for a summer box office turnaround, we continue to see both films soar to new records. Barbie has now officially become the highest-grossing film of the year globally, surpassing The Super Mario Bros Movie for a total box office taking of $1.365B. Additionally, Oppenheimer has now become Christopher Nolan’s third-highest grossing film worldwide, with only The Dark Knight Rises and The Dark Knight ahead of it. One of the best Entertainment attorney Los Angeles Brandon Blake, of Blake & Wang P.A., unpacks the latest achievements.
Two of the Top Three?
While Barbie has been the (understandable) focus of much recent press, let’s not forget that Oppenheimer is also proving to be an overachiever of note. With a box office now passing $850M worldwide, it is now set to become 2023’s third-highest-grossing film. Behind, of course, Barbie and The Super Mario Bros Movie. Great news for the overall box office, of course- but we’re willing to bet Universal is feeling a little smug right now, too.
Successful Chinese Release
Oppenheimer has an offshore total to-date of $542M to pad its bottom line. Additionally, it’s had something many films have lacked since the pandemic- a surprisingly successful Chinese opening. Here, it quickly claimed the top spot at the box office, and has received consistently high audience ratings. Once a given for Western releases, but a small miracle in the current climate. It’s thought the Chinese box office alone could account for $64M.
In a year where surprising break-out hits from non-franchise IPs have been the winners through and through, both Barbie and Oppenheimer continue to captivate audiences despite now entering a period where we typically see takings fall off steeply. A redefinition of success in the film industry indeed. The 2023 box office has had a standout summer, and mostly from properties no one ever anticipated achieving such global success. Here’s hoping 2023 ends on the same strong note!
Film and Television 