Warner Bros Barbie Dominance Over Newcomers
In a triumphant streak, the film "Barbie" maintained its dominance at the box office for the third consecutive weekend, overshadowing the newcomers "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem" and "Meg 2: The Trench."
The cumulative earnings of Warner Bros "Barbie" have reached a staggering $459 million in North America. Perplexing and exhilarating, behold the spectacle of yet another remarkable weekend at the global and international box office. Delightfully, the third week of Warner Bros' cinematic masterpiece, "Barbie," maintains its towering dominance as it gracefully glides towards the revered milestone of $1 billion this weekend.
In the race for box office supremacy, "Meg 2: The Trench" made its debut in second place, garnering a commendable $30 million from 3,503 theaters across North America. While it had a decent start, it experienced a notable decline compared to its predecessor, the 2018 original, which began with $45 million and went on to become an unexpected blockbuster, amassing a staggering $530.5 million worldwide. The sequel, revolving around daring scientists facing off against colossal prehistoric sharks, bore a production cost of $130 million, prompting Warner Bros. to rely on a strong international turnout to offset the substantial investment.
"The drop in the film's opening, indicates the series may be losing its initial allure. However, 'The Meg' thrives on the foreign markets, where its financial prowess remains potent, backed by robust overseas premieres."
David A. Gross Head of Franchise Entertainment Research
Securing the fourth position, "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem" raked in an impressive $28 million from 3,858 venues over the weekend, with a total of $43 million within its first five days of release. The PG-13 film is poised to benefit further in the coming weeks, buoyed by its stellar "A" CinemaScore and a 96% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Despite its $70 million budget, it proves more cost-effective compared to recent animated ventures like Pixar's extravagant $200 million-budgeted "Elemental" and Sony's $100 million-budgeted "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse."
Expressing delight, Chris Aronson, Paramount's president of domestic distribution, stated, "Achieving $43 million in five days during August is truly fantastic. It's a film for all audiences, not just limited to families."
The creative duo behind "Superbad," Seth Rogen, and Evan Goldberg, took charge of writing and producing "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," chronicling the escapades of Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo as they venture into the bustling streets of New York City after years of seclusion from the human world. Prior to the film's release, Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon had already announced plans for a sequel, along with a two-season Paramount+ series that would serve as a narrative "bridge" connecting the big-screen exploits.
Incorporating the captivating world of animation opens up a boundless realm of creative possibilities, allowing for an explosion of imagination that resonates with a wide range of audiences from all walks of life. As emphasized by Gross, this art form serves as a gateway to limitless creative potential, drawing people from diverse demographics and captivating their hearts and minds.
Disney's reimagining of "Haunted Mansion" experienced a drop to the fifth spot, earning $9 million from 3,740 theaters, signifying a significant 63% decline from its debut. Curiously released in July, the eerie film has accumulated $42 million in North America and $59 million globally thus far. Regrettably, it seems to be a theatrical disappointment for Disney, which invested a substantial $150 million in its production and dedicated tens of millions to promotional endeavors.
On a different note, A24's economical thriller "Talk to Me" enjoyed a robust performance, adding a healthy $6.27 million from 2,370 screens in its second weekend of the exhibition. Surpassing $22.1 million in domestic box office earnings, the film has already secured the title of A24's highest-grossing release of the year.
Gerwig: Solo Female Film Maker
Gerwig's groundbreaking achievement marks a historic milestone in the world of filmmaking. As the first-ever solo female filmmaker to reach the impressive milestone of a billion-dollar film, she has shattered barriers and opened doors for women in the industry. Her remarkable success not only celebrates her talent and hard work but also paves the way for a new era of inclusivity and recognition of women's contributions to cinema. With this remarkable feat, Gerwig has proven that female directors are more than capable of creating blockbuster hits and leaving a lasting impact on a global audience.
Warner Bros Barbie In China
Numerous factors initially raised doubts about the potential success of the "Barbie" movie in China. Being an American film, it faced the challenge of declining interest among Chinese moviegoers in Hollywood productions as well as government approval becoming harder to secure. Additionally, the film's distinct feminist undertones arrived at a time when women's rights and political representation were experiencing setbacks in China.
However, against the odds, the film not only screened in China but also emerged as a surprising hit, primarily due to its unique attributes within the Chinese cinematic landscape.
Despite limited screening opportunities, with Warner Bros "Barbie" occupying only 2.4 percent of the initial screenings in China on its release day, it swiftly gained widespread attention on Chinese social media platforms.
At one point, it even topped the search trends on Weibo, China's equivalent of Twitter.
Garnering an impressive 8.3 rating on Douban, a prominent movie rating site, Warner Bros "Barbie" outperformed all other currently showing live-action features. In response to its popularity, theaters rapidly increased the number of showings, nearly quadrupling the screenings within the first week.