Barbie vs Oppenheimer latest: Greta Gerwig explains Barbie’s ending after record-breaking box office debut

Gerwig broke the domestic box office record for female director with ‘Barbie’ debut

Barbie cast turn London Eye pink to celebrate film premiere

Greta Gerwig has broken the domestic box office record for a female director, with Barbie debuting at $155m in North America and $337m globally.

The film surpassed the $103.3m domestic opening of Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman and the $153m weekend opening of 2019’s Captain Marvel, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Cinemas around the world were busier than ever over the weekend, thanks to the simultaneous release of Barbie and Oppenheimer, with excitement for Gerwig and Christopher Nolan’s respective blockbusters going into overdrive.

While Oppenheimer’s critical ratings have blown past Barbie with a near-perfect Rotten Tomato score, the latter, which stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, has surpassed the Cillian Murphy-starring biopic’s box office takings.

In a new interview with The Independent, Nolan described Oppenheimer as “the biggest film I’ve made”. Murphy admitted to struggling to watch the film due to seeing his face projected on the screen, but acknowledged that the film is “designed” to be “watched with an audience”.

Meanwhile, Gerwig has spoken about her film’s “mic drop” ending, after breaking the record for the biggest box office debut by a female director.

Key points

• ‘Life in plastic, it’s fantastic!’: Barbie gets five stars from The Independent
• Read The Independent’s four-star review of Oppenheimer
• Mission: Impossible struggles at box office against record-breaking might of Barbenheimer
• Christopher Nolan and Cillian Murphy on Oppenheimer: ‘Taking that risk on behalf of us all – there’s nothing bigger than that’
• Oppenheimer’s women: the true story of the brilliant, complicated female figures behind the famed physicist

[24 July 2023 08:30 · Peony Hirwani]

‘Barbie’ release delay in Pakistan province faces severe criticism

The release of Greta Gerwig’s much-anticipated film Barbie has reportedly been delayed in a province in Pakistan and the move has come under harsh criticism from the country’s social media users.

[24 July 2023 08:00 · Peony Hirwani]

Margot Robbie cast Rob Brydon ‘as a priority’ in Barbie

One particular Barbie cameo that is particularly surprising for cinemagoers in the UK is Rob Brydon – and it turns out Margot Robbie was instrumental in ensuring the Welsh actor appeared in the film.

[24 July 2023 07:00 · Peony Hirwani]

Watch: Cinemagoers flock to see ‘Barbie’ and ‘Oppenheimer’

[24 July 2023 06:30 · Peony Hirwani]

Christopher Nolan says Oppenheimer is ‘the biggest film I’ve ever made’

The Independent sat down with both Nolan and Cillan Murphy to discuss Oppenheimer.

During the chat, Nolan discussed his new film as well as his directing future while Murphy admitted: “I love watching Christopher Nolan’s films when I’m not in them.

Read the full interview here.

[24 July 2023 06:00 · Peony Hirwani]

Rishi Sunak has seen ‘Barbie’

Getting in on Barbenheimer this weekend was Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who wrote: “The family vote was only ever going one way… Barbie first it is #Barbenheimer.”

Although it seems if he was planning on double billing with Oppenheimer, which has a 15 age certificate, he would have had to send his nine and 11year-old daughters home first.

[24 July 2023 05:30 · Peony Hirwani]

Barbie release delayed in Pakistan over ‘objectionable content’

The release of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie was delayed in Pakistan’s Punjab province over “objectionable content”.

Officials said the film would be reviewed and need clearance from the provincial boards that censor scenes violating the country’s social, cultural, and religious values.

“There will be a full review of the film, and it will be censored where deemed necessary,” Farrukh Mahmood, secretary of the Punjab Film Censor Board, told AFP.

The board did not clarify which content was “objectionable,” or why.

[24 July 2023 05:00 · Peony Hirwani]

Barbie and Oppenheimer beat global box office records

Warner Bros’ Barbie and Universal’s Oppenheimer have delivered massive global debuts of $337m and $174.2m, respectively.

At the international box office, Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, collected $182m from 69 markets.

On the other hand, Christopher Nolan’s Cillian Murphy-led Oppenheimer in 78 markets earned a whopping $93.7m overseas.

Speaking of the result, Andrew Cripps, Warner Bros president of international theatrical distribution, told Deadline: “The incredible worldwide results we’ve seen are a testament to the filmmakers’ singular vision to provide a fun and engaging experience that audiences of all ages are responding to in a fun and powerful way.”

Veronika Kwan Vandenberg, president of distribution for Universal Pictures International, added: “We couldn’t be happier for Chris Nolan and Emma Thomas, the phenomenal cast and crew, and our partners at Imax and exhibition around the world.”

[24 July 2023 04:33 · Peony Hirwani]

‘Barbenheimer’ leads box office with $235m opening in North America

The films Barbie and Oppenheimer attracted cinemagoers in record numbers for their opening weekend in North America, earning a combined sum of $235.5m.

Warner Bros’ Barbie, directed by Greta Gerwig, generated $155m in ticket sales while Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer bagged $80.5m.

[23 July 2023 23:15 · Jacob Stolworthy]

Quentin Tarantino has Barbenheimed

Filmmaker Quentin Tarantino, a noted champion of cinema, has found himself caught up in Barbenheimer.

According to one Twitter user, the Pulp Fiction director saw Oppenheimer first in Los Angeles before heading over the road to see Barbie.

In a meta twist, the cinema he’s seen getting a ticket from here (the Bruin) is the one Sharon Tate – played by Barbie star Margot Robbie – goes to in his latest film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

[23 July 2023 22:15 · Jacob Stolworthy]

The women of ‘Oppenheimer’

Oppenheimer might be about the inventor of the atomic bomb, but the film features two characters who are worthy of their own three-hour film: Florence Pugh’s Jean Tatlock and Emily Blunt, who playes Oppehenimer’s wife Kitty.

Annabel Nugent spoke to historians to find out more about their lives.