‘Barbie’ & ‘Oppenheimer’ Fever Spills Into Monday: Greta Gerwig Pic Notches Warner Bros Record, Nolan Epic Strong With $12M+ – Box Office

After another weekend at the top of the box office, rumours are emerging that a “Barbie” sequel is in the works.

Clayton Davis Senior Awards Editor Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony Awards ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages reflect the current standings in the race and do not reflect personal preferences for any individual contender.

Greta Gerwig should be feeling closer to fine these days. In just three weeks in theaters, “Barbie” is set to sail past $1 billion in global ticket sales, breaking a record for female directors that was previously held by Patty Jenkins, who helmed “Wonder Woman.”“Barbie,” which Gerwig directed and co-wrote, added another $53 million from 4,178 North American locations this weekend according to studio estimates on Sunday.

Ryan Gosling surprised Barbie director Greta Gerwig yesterday (August 4) with a flash mob to celebrate her 40th birthday.A video was posted of the flash mob to Barbie‘s official social media channels. Gerwig was in a pilates class when a group of dancers arrived and performed a routine set to Gosling’s song from the movie, ‘I’m Just Ken’.Gerwig is seen tearing up as the dancers perform before hugging them after the dance ends.“As Kens know…. Sometimes the only way to express your feelings is through song & dance,” was the accompanying caption on the video.

“Barbie is really important for us,” beamed Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav on the conglom’s Q2 earnings call about the first pic to hit $1 billion under his reign.

Warner Bros. U.S. has deleted “Barbenheimer” tweets after being criticized by Warner Bros. Japan.

Greta Gerwig‘s Barbie movie has smashed box office records, becoming one of the most talked about films of the year. So it’s understandable, then, that fans of the director are already looking forward to her next project.Barbie, which is adapted from the popular Mattel toy franchise, was released in cinemas last Friday (July 21).

Ryan Gosling’s anthem in the Barbie movie has become an instant pop culture phenomenon – but director Greta Gerwig had to do some slight coaxing to make it happen.  

“Barbie” director Greta Gerwig didn’t anticipate both the massive success of the fantastical film and the unprecedented right-wing backlash the film has received online.

The ‘Barbenheimer’ reign has no end in sight!

Barbie director Greta Gerwig has a graceful approach when it comes to handling the blockbuster’s biggest critics.

We knew Warner Bros’ Barbie and Universal’s Oppenheimer were going to be big, but not this big.

“Barbie” continues to heat up the box office after a blockbuster opening weekend that soared far beyond initial predictions.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter Come on, Barbie, let’s go make (more) box office history. Greta Gerwig’s plastic, fantastic “Barbie” added $26 million on Monday, resulting in the best Monday gross in Warner Bros. history.

Clayton Davis Senior Awards Editor “Barbie” is a box office smash, along with its acclaim from critics and audiences alike. If you follow the social media chatter and the general feeling from most pundits, it could be a viable awards contender for Warner Bros. One category being debated is where the screenplay by Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach would be able to compete — whether in original or adapted screenplay. The answer lies in how the WGA classifies it and whether the Academy could or would overrule that choice. Variety confirms there are ongoing conversations with strategists and Warner Bros regarding where “Barbie” would compete at next year’s ceremony. On the title cards, it reads “Based on ‘Barbie’ by Mattel,” which is, of course, a toy company. At the same time, there have been multiple CGI films and TV series featuring the fashion doll since its debut in the late 1980s (42 to be precise). This would point to an “adapted” run. However, take the case of Pixar’s inaugural feature “Toy Story” (1995), which picked up an original screenplay nom (Joss Whedon, Andrew Stanton, Joel Cohen, Alec Sokolow, John Lasseter, Pete Docter, Joe Ranft). In that case, it offers a pathway for original. The CGI classic features characters such as Mr. Potato Head, a Hasbro product, and other toys such as Etch A Sketch, Magic 8 Ball and even parts of Barbie herself. Part of the Mutant Toys, which are creations of Andy’s sadistic kid neighbor Sid, he has one called “Legs” — which are a pair of Barbie doll legs attached to a green toy fishing rod.

the social media nickname given to the one-two punch of Warner Bros’ “Barbie” and Universal’s “Oppenheimer” — did boffo business at the domestic box office, grossing a combined $235 million. “Barbie,” at $155 million alone, had the biggest three-day opening of the year so far. And right on cue, the usual pronouncements are being made:Audiences love originality! (Everyone has seemingly forgotten that Barbie is a super-famous doll and not from director Greta Gerwig’s imagination.) Stories about women sell! (Just as with men’s stories, like floperoo “Indiana Jones,” sometimes they do and sometimes they don’t. “Oppenheimer,” which many online are calling sexist toward women, sold tremendously well at $80 million.) It’s quality, stupid! (Tell that to “The Banshees of Inisherin,” “Women Talking,” “The Fabelmans” and most of the other Best Picture Oscar nominees released last year.) However, the real takeaway of #Barbenheimer — a cinematic Brigadoon that will soon disappear into the fog — is one that is becoming increasingly obvious in the entertainment world at large: Ticket-buyers want Events. It’s not enough for consumers to regularly attend good movies or nice Broadway shows or average concerts and then head home and go to bed.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter Unless you’ve been trapped in a plastic toy box, there’s no escaping the Barbie-core movement that’s sweeping the globe — and potentially contributing a nationwide shortage of the color pink. The marketing department at Warner Bros. has been working in overdrive to entice the masses for Greta Gerwig’s cotton candy-colored fantasy “Barbie,” which has been all but inescapable this summer. A key factor has been a dizzying array of partnerships with products that range from a bright fuchsia Xbox (for STEM Barbie) to this $1,350 Balmain cropped hoodie (for Disposable Income Barbie). And that’s only scratching the surface of the brands that helped propel the movie to cultural touchstone status before arriving in theaters on July 21. In Malibu, there’s a real-life Barbie Dreamhouse that’s bookable through Airbnb. There’s also a themed boat cruise that’s setting sail in the Boston area.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter Three cheers for Director Barbie. Greta Gerwig cemented box office history as her cotton candy-colored blockbuster “Barbie” scored a massive $155 million in its opening weekend, marking the biggest debut ever for a film directed by a woman. “Captain Marvel,” which was co-directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, previously held the title with $153 million in 2019. “Wonder Woman,” from filmmaker Patty Jenkins, stood as the record-holder for a movie solely directed by a woman with $103 million in 2017. “Barbie” has notched several other box office records, including the biggest opening weekend of the year — besting “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” ($146 million).

Greta Gerwig has for the first time addressed her plans to write and direct multiple films based on The Chronicles of Narnia books from C.S. Lewis, admitting that the prospect is fairly unnerving.

If you’re seeing Oppenheimer on the big screen, you might want to get there early as certain screenings will not be showing any trailers… and there’s a fascinating reason.