After a little more than two weeks in cinemas, Greta Gerwig's live-action adaptation of Barbie has grossed more than $1 billion at the global box office. Generating an estimated $53 million for her third weekend, Barbie has a domestic total of a massive $459 million; internationally, the numbers are even more robust, with an estimated $572 million and counting. Naturally, there has been a lot of talk of a sequel and potential spin-offs, but with Gerwig dedicating the next couple of years to Netflix's Chronicles of Narnia, we might be in for a bit of a wait before Barbie 2 happens.
Arriving five years on from the original, The Meg 2 The Trench came in second place with $30 million for the weekend. The Jason Statham-led sequel didn't quite measure up to the $45 million launch of the original movie in 2018, but The Meg didn't have Barbenheimer to face off against. While the domestic opening weekend might have been underwhelming, the international box office told a different story. The Meg 2 generated over $112 million, giving the sequel a respectable global debut of $142 million. Only time will tell if it can match the first movie's $530 million box office, but The Meg 2 is off to a solid start.
Meanwhile, Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer crossed the $500 million mark; already an awards season favourite, the film recently extended its IMAX run, which has helped more fans get to see it in the best possible format. The extended IMAX run for Oppenheimer isn't good news for Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning Part 1; the Tom Cruise-led sequel hoped to claim some of those screens back, but the demand for Oppenheimer has outstripped that of Mission Impossible. Currently sitting on a global haul of $493 million, it's a long way from the final tally of the previous sequel, Fallout which finished on $791 million. Costing a staggering $290 million (before marketing), Part 1 may not hit the break-even point during its theatrical run.
Elsewhere in the US top 10, Seth Rogen-produced Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem landed in fourth place with $28 million for the weekend; add to that $15 million from previews, and this $70 million budgeted animated film is off to a strong start. Disney continues to have a troubled summer with another under performing release; the reboot of The Haunted Mansion grossed just $9 million in its second frame for a current domestic total of $42 million. The international box office isn't coming to the rescue, with just $17 million generated, but it has yet to be released in all planned territories.
To end on a more positive note, Disney/Pixar's Elemental has shown some tremendous staying power after one of the worst opening weekends for a Pixar title. Debuting in June with $29 million, Elemental appeared to be a flop, but strong word of mouth turned it into a sleeper hit. After seven weeks, Elemental has made more than $148 million domestically and, combined with the international box office, has a global haul of more than $423 million. It might not be enough to offset the reported $200 million production cost, but the fact it has made it this far is nothing short of incredible.