‘Barbenheimer’ opens with a bang and rakes in $33 million at US theaters on Thursday alone – with Barbie and Oppenheimer set to surpass $200M in combined ticket sales over the weekend

This year’s most highly anticipated movies, “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” — two cinematic opposites brought together by the fate of cross-marketing — have hit theaters with a bang and are expected to gross $200 million this weekend.

Many film fans flock to the cinemas to make a double film out of it – and it was already clear on Friday that the internet phenomenon ‘Barbenheimer’ had turned into the film event of the year.

The National Association of Theater Owners says some 200,000 moviegoers in North America have booked same-day tickets for every movie.

Warner Bros. said Friday that Barbie raked in $22.5 million in Thursday previews, its best sum of the year and a clear sign the movie will easily sail past $100 million this weekend.

Universal Pictures’ Oppenheimer racked up $10.5 million in ticket sales for the show and looks set to open between $40 million and $60 million.

Barbie made $22.5 million from Thursday previews, while Universal Pictures’ Oppenheimer brought in $10.5 million in ticket sales for the show. Pictured: Margot Robbie in a scene from Barbie (left) and Cillian Murphy in a scene from Oppenheimer

From left to right: Gabrielle Roitman, Kayla Seffing, Maddy Hiller and Casey Myer take a selfie in front of an Oppenheimer movie poster before attending a Barbie preview

“I don’t think I’ve seen anything like it,” said Michael O’Leary, president of the theater association, who compared the phenomenon to a sold-out Taylor Swift concert tour.

“But while that’s a great special event that grabs the cultural attention, it’s not accessible to everyone like these two movies are. This is a phenomenon that is accessible to everyone, regardless of where they live.’

Barbie is expected to take in more than $140 million during its first three days in theaters, while Oppenheimer is likely to take in at least $50 million, with some box office analysts expecting it to top $60 million.

“I think it’s the contrast,” said 17-year-old Lucy Ruiz, as she and a friend entered the first screening of “Barbie” Thursday at the Alamo Drafthouse in Yonkers, New York. “If you want to do both on the same day, they’re two sides of the same coin.”

For Ruiz, the second half of her ‘Barbenheimer’ would have to wait. “Maybe next week,” she said of seeing “Oppenheimer.”

For a film industry that still hasn’t fully recovered from its pre-pandemic position, it’s a welcome summer boost where many of the best releases fall short of expectations.

Total sales for the year are about 20 percent below the box office pace of 2019.

Ryan Gosling, left, and Margot Robbie pose for photographers as they arrive at the Barbie film premiere on Wednesday, July 12, 2023 in London

Barbie (left) is expected to rake in more than $140 million in its first three days in theaters, while Oppenheimer (right) is likely to rake in at least $50 million, with some box office analysts expecting it could exceed $60 million

For some moviegoers, “Barbenheimer” is their first flush with the once-common practice of catching a double-film.

Jack Robinson, 17, had tickets to see both movies with friends on Saturday. He planned to put on a suit for Oppenheimer before donning pink for “Barbie.”

‘I used to go to the movies a lot with my family and friends before corona came. I’m very excited,” Robinson said. “It will be interesting not to leave the cinema. Usually it’s like going to the bathroom and going home.’

In recent years, theater owners have often complained that they don’t have enough movies on the market as streaming becomes more widespread and studios increasingly focus their release schedules on fewer but bigger movies. But “Barbenheimer” hints at the potential reward when a diverse group of films collectively raise the box-office tide.

“Barbenheimer” may have briefly eclipsed last week’s top movie, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One – which, despite Tom Cruise’s lobbying efforts, is losing IMAX screens to Oppenheimer this weekend. But having three big movies close together, O’Leary said, “is a good problem to have.”

“It’s certainly preferable to the alternative,” O’Leary said.

Parrot Analytics found that global demand for each film’s casts — all of whom were publicly excited about seeing their rival film — grew at much the same rate between late April and mid-July.

The demographics of the public are almost opposite. Barbie appeals to a largely female and younger audience, while “Oppenheimer” is most popular with men and the over-30s, Parrot found.

But in a deeply divided America, “Barbenheimer” is the great pop culture unifier of 2023. There is harmony in contrast.

This combination of images shows promotional art for Barbie, links, and Oppenheimer

Advertisements for the Oppenheimer and Barbie movies will appear on AMC Theaters at The Grove in Los Angeles on Thursday, July 20, 2023

“I do Barbie first and then Oppenheimer because I know ‘Oppenheimer’ is something I have to process,” says Brooklyn-based Jill Kupnick.

Movie theaters are focusing on the “Barbenheimer” phenomenon with double-feature tickets and plenty of Barbie-themed candy and cocktail offerings. But most program their own ‘Barbenheimer’ days. Freelance writer Kelsey Weekman called it “the closest thing to a school spirit week as adults.”

“I have a friend who has picked out outfits and knows how to style her hair,” says Krupnick. “There’s a level of play involved that you rarely see in more mainstream cinema. It’s more common in Marvel movies or in the fantasy genre than something like this.”

Barbie and Oppenheimer have become so fused that it’s become possible – despite their vast differences – to mistake one for the other.

At the Yonkers Alamo Drafthouse, a smartly dressed man in a pink shirt under a blazer inquired about “Oppenheimer” showtimes.

A clerk answered courteously and, noticing the man’s clothing, asked, “Did you want Barbie times, too?”