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Greta Gerwig's Barbie has made history with a historic opening weekend, earning $377 million worldwide, making it the biggest debut ever for a film directed by a woman. At the North American box office, the Margot Robbie starrer claimed the top spot with $162 million in ticket sales, surpassing not only other major releases of the year but the studio's expectations of $155 million. The social media buzz surrounding the double feature of Barbie and Christopher Nolan's Cillian Murphy-fronted biopic Oppenheimer, dubbed Barbenheimer, clearly worked in the favour of both movies and brought record numbers of moviegoers back to theaters.

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Oppenheimer is no slouch either

Oppenheimer, an R-Rated 3-hour biopic, also exceeded expectations, garnering $80.5 million in the US and Canada, becoming Nolan's biggest non-Batman debut and an impressive start for a movie like his. This weekend marked the first time that two movies opened with over $100 million and $80 million respectively, making it one of the industry's biggest box office weekends, fourth biggest to be precise.

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International hauls of Barbie and Oppenheimer

Internationally, Barbie earned $182 million, contributing to its $337 million global weekend total, while Oppenheimer achieved $93.7 million, with a global total of $174.2 million. Both films had a significant impact on ticket sales, affecting other releases like Mission: Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part I.

Barbie review

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Also Read: Barbie review: Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling's film smart, funny and very woke

WION's Shomini Sen wrote in her review of Barbie, "I would still say that the film very smartly shows how society is and humanises the iconic doll. For decades Barbie has been one of the most popular toys for young girls, setting unrealistic standards of beauty. Sure, Mattel has reinvented the doll and made every girl believe that they can be whatever they want to be - just like their favourite doll, but the narrative of everything being overtly perfect has also done damage to several. Greta, in that sense, spins the narrative and adds a layer of cynicism to Barbieland to show how things are in real. Flawed, depressed, and definitely not perfect- even though the plastic remains constant." 

Oppenheimer review

Also Read: Oppenheimer review: Nolan's visually stunning epic fuses genius and guilt

WION's Kshitij Rawat wrote in his review of Oppenheimer, "As Oppenheimer unfolds, Nolan presents us with a kaleidoscope of ethical dilemmas that transcend time. The film's resonance lies not only in its historical accuracy but also in its exploration of the human condition, the pursuit of knowledge, and the choices that shape our destinies. Oppenheimer is an unmissable cinematic event. I am not quite sure if it is indeed Nolan's best work as many have said, but it definitely comes close."

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