Warner Bros’ ‘Barbie’ double features advance booking with Oppenheimer

Barbie, the fantasy comedy film inspired by the Mattel fashion dolls, is set to hit theatres on July 21, 2023. The film directed by Greta Gerwig is inspired by the popular Mattel fashion dolls line, its estimated cost is around 10 crores . 

The story is set in Barbie Land, where perfection prevails, except for those experiencing existential crises and Ken, Barbie’s companion. The film boasts a star-studded ensemble cast, including Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, John Cena, Michael Cera, Kate McKinnon, America Ferrera, Will Ferrell, and Simu Liu.

Also read: Margot Robbie’s Barbie movie likely to open with $80 million, Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer eyes $40 million

Although Warner Bros. has conservatively estimated a three-day collection of USD 60 million, industry experts believe the actual numbers will exceed that projection, considering the film’s strong appeal to women, particularly those below the age of 25. The film’s minimum expected weekend collection is USD 80 million, with the potential to reach or even surpass the USD 100 million milestone.

Compared to ‘Little Mermaid’, which opened with USD 19 million in advanced booking sales and reached Friday sales of USD 38.1 million, ‘Barbie’ is predicted to achieve even higher advance ticket sales. ‘Little Mermaid’ attracted 68 percent of women, with 61 percent from the 18-34 age group.

Meanwhile, the film ‘Oppenheimer’, whose release date coincides with that of ‘Barbie’, is centred around the father of the atomic bomb, is also expected to perform well at the box office. Its primary audience consists of older males, while ‘Barbie’ appeals to females, especially young women. Christopher Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer’, with a runtime of three hours, is likely to cross the USD 50-million mark in its opening. However, Universal holds exclusive control of theatres for three weeks.

Christopher Nolan’s previous film ‘Dunkirk’ opened with USD 50 million and eventually reached USD 189.7 million in 2017. Despite facing challenges during the pandemic, his film ‘Tenet’ earned USD 50 million in five days, according to The Economic Times.

Also read: From Barbie to Oppenheimer, these movies are up for release next week

“That more than 20,000 moviegoers have already made plans and purchased tickets to see Barbie and Oppenheimer on the same day is a great sign that the growing online conversation around seeing both of these incredible films is turning into ticket sales,” said Elizabeth Frank, executive VP of worldwide programming and chief content officer at AMC Theatres.

AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc., the world’s largest movie chain, announced that over 20,000 of its AMC Stubs members have already booked tickets for both ‘Barbie’ and ‘Oppenheimer’ on the same day, reported Variety. “A 33 percent increase in the number of guests who decided to create their own double feature by purchasing tickets to see both movies on the same day,” Frank added.

Updated: 17 Jul 2023, 01:33 PM IST