‘Oppenheimer’ beats ‘Barbie’ at global box office for first time

according to IMDB’s Box Office Mojo.The supernatural mystery, which The Post called a “surefooted film with strong performances and a luxurious-yet-frightful tone,” is based on a 1969 Agatha Christie novel.“The Nun II,” which was in first place last week, moved down a notch to the No. 2 spot, with earnings of $4.4 million.

In its latest milestone, Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer has passed the $900M mark worldwide. The estimated total through Friday is $903M, including $586M from the international box office. With Saturday and Sunday numbers, that global cume is projected to reach $912M. This will make it the highest grossing biopic ever at the global box office, ahead of Bohemian Rhapsody. 

Refresh for latest…: There’s a lot to unpack this weekend at the international box office, including a flying start for Warner Bros/New Line’s The Nun II, Indian superstar Shah Rukh Khan continuing to outdo himself and a major milestone afoot for Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer. Meanwhile, Barbie has danced past $1.4B worldwide.

according to IMDB’s Box Office Mojo.The gothic supernatural flick, which ABC News called “a face-plant horror splat” is the ninth chapter in Warner Bros. “Conjuring” franchise.It stars Taissa Farmiga, Jonas Bloquet and Bonnie Aarons — the latter who is suing Warner Bros.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Strong summer season performances by movies across the world have sped up the movie industry’s global recovery. And for the second time this year, analysis firm Gower Street Analytics has revised its forecast for the 2023 cinema year upwards. The London-based firm is now forecasting that the full-year global gross box office will weigh in at $34.5 billion, a $2.5 billion increase on its April forecast. The upgrade reflects a strong July-August period globally, but with the majority of the increase due to the summer movie season boom in China. If the new projection holds good, it would see global box office finish 33% ahead of 2022 (35% at current exchange rates). It would also come in just 12% behind the average of the last three pre-pandemic years, 2017-2019, the firm said. The forecast is based on the currently known release calendar for the remaining four months of the year.

The third instalment in the Denzel Washington-led “Equalizer” franchise topped the domestic box office this weekend with $34.5 million according to studio estimates Sunday. By the end of the Monday holiday, Sony expects that total will rise to $42 million.

Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer has reached yet another milestone in the seven weeks since its release – now bringing in over $850million (£671million) from global ticket sales.The dark drama – which saw Cillian Murphy take on the role of J. Robert Oppenheimer, ‘father of the atomic bomb’ – arrived in cinemas on July 21, and has since gone on to become one of Christopher Nolan’s most successful films to date.In the seven weeks since its debut, the movie has generated millions globally and continues to surpass expectations – particularly with its genre as an R-rated biographical, historical drama.Now, it has been confirmed that Oppenheimer has hit yet another impressive milestone, and has crossed $850milion in ticket sales globally.According to reports by Variety, around $311million (£241million) of this figure has come from sales across North America, while around $542.7million (£334million) has come in internationally.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief “Oppenheimer” landed on top of the mainland China cinema box office with an impressive score for a Hollywood movie in the current climate. More typically, gaming adaptation “Gran Turismo” failed to get far off the start line. While most films open in China on Fridays, Christopher Nolan’s nuclear opus was given a wide release from Wednesday. It scored $21.3 million (RMB154 million) over the conventional Friday to Sunday weekend and $30.7 million (RMB221 million) over its opening five days, according to data from consultancy firm Artisan Gateway.

Though Labor Day is upon us domestically — and its somewhat equivalents in many overseas markets to mark the end of summer — the hits keep coming as holds this session were strong on the season’s leaders while a new entry surprised. To wit, and starting with the latter: Sony/Escape Artists’ The Equalizer 3 blazed to a $60.6M global start this weekend, to clock the franchise’s best opening ever. Of that, the $26.1M debut in 49 international box office markets was also a new record bow for the Denzel Washington-led series.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter Christopher Nolan’s dark historical epic “Oppenheimer” has crossed another remarkable box office milestone with $850 million in global ticket sales. The movie, starring Cillian Murphy as the so-called “father of the atomic bomb,” has generated $311 million in North America and $542.7 million internationally to date. The film continues to crush expectations, especially for a somber, R-rated biographical historical drama that unfolds largely in dreary rooms of fast-talking scientists and politicians.

The two seemingly unstoppable phenoms of summer 2023 are each setting new milestones this weekend as Greta Gerwig’s Barbie through Friday has become the No.1 film of the year globally, overtaking The Super Mario Bros Movie with $1.365B. In the same breath, Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer this frame is continuing its incredible run with the Universal title set to pass $850M globally through Sunday. This will see it surpass the filmmaker’s 2010 Inception as his 3rd highest-grossing title ever worldwide.

Jordan Moreau Denzel Washington is back as professional killer Robert McCall in “The Equalizer 3,” which has made $3.8 million in previews at the box office. The R-rated, action thriller is expected to make between $28 million and $30 million in its opening weekend. With the Labor Day holiday on Monday, it could grow from $33 million to $40 million in the four-day frame.

Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer officially launched in China today, grossing an estimated $5.4M. Word of mouth is strong with the Universal title carrying a 9.5 on Maoyan, the platform’s best-ever audience score for a Nolan film. The Douban critics score at 8.7 is on par with 2012’s The Dark Knight Rises. The weekend is shaping up to land in the $20M+ range, based on early estimates.

Helen Mirren is stepping out for a dinner date with her husband!

Brent Lang Executive Editor There’s no stopping “Barbenheimer.” On Monday, “Barbie” will overtake “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2” as the highest grossing global release in the history of Warner Bros. Over the weekend, it earned $18.2 million from 12,852 screens in 75 international territories, to push its worldwide gross to a smashing $1.34 billion. And it’s not done breaking records.

Summer may be drawing to a close, but the blockbusters of the season are still basking in box office glory. To wit: Greta Gerwig’s Barbie is poised to become the highest-grossing Warner Bros movie of all time globally on Monday. Through today, the worldwide estimate is $1.34B, meaning just $1M separates it from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 to attain the record.

Time was, Hollywood filmmakers would regularly travel to China in support of their movies, attending premieres and holding Q&As to drum up buzz in the massive box office market. The pandemic halted that ritual — until this week when Christopher Nolan became the first major Hollywood filmmaker since Covid to stroll a red carpet in China as his Oppenheimer was premiered at Universal Studios’ CityWalk IMAX theater in Beijing, followed by a stop in Shanghai for more screenings and fan interaction.

Amanda Bynes has been spotted out and about in public again, weeks after going into a mental health treatment facility to get professional help and therapy.

Holly Willoughby will be making a cameo in an upcoming episode of the long-running murder mystery Midsomer Murders. A first look at Holly's stint on the show was shown during Wednesday's Good Morning Britain, when hosts Kate Garraway and Richard Madeley were joined by the show's star Neil Dudgeon, who plays DCI John Barnaby.

Refresh for latest…: It’s been another very busy weekend at the international box office with milestones and great holds, as well as a new entry and local-language movies adding to the mix.