LOS ANGELES, United States - Hollywood's pink wave has yet to crest as Warner Bros.' "Barbie" dominated for a third straight weekend in North American theaters, pushing the film's global haul past $1 billion in a first for a woman director, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations said Sunday.

The Greta Gerwig-directed blockbuster, starring Margot Robbie as iconic doll Barbie and Ryan Gosling as boyfriend Ken, earned a projected $53 million for the Friday-through-Sunday period, for a domestic total of $459 million and a whopping $1.03 billion worldwide.

Not only has "Barbie" thus become the first movie directed solely by a woman to pass the $1 billion mark, but it did so faster than any film -- including those directed by men -- in Warner Bros.' 100-year history, executives there said.

Jeff Goldstein, Warner Bros. President of Domestic Distribution, and Andrew Cripps, President of International Distribution, for Warner Bros. Pictures, said: "As distribution chiefs, we’re not often rendered speechless by a film’s performance, but Barbillion has blown even our most optimistic predictions out of the water."

"This is a watershed moment for ‘Barbie,’ and no one but Greta Gerwig could have brought this cross-generational icon and her world to life in such a funny, emotional and entertaining story, one that is resonating with all four quadrants of moviegoers and literally turning the entire world pink. Long lines and repeat viewings prove that movies are back in a big, big way, and we look forward to seeing just how far ‘Barbie’ can go in the real world.”

Added Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy, Co-Chairs &amp; CEOs of Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, “A massive achievement like this is possible when you have an incredible filmmaking team, with cast and crew coming together to create a truly special moviegoing experience. Along with our partners at Mattel, and with the support of the entire Warner Bros. Discovery family, we are thrilled that audiences the world over are embracing the ‘Barbie’ movie in such a profound way."

"With ‘Barbie’ becoming the biggest film at the summer box office, Greta now joins an elite group of writer/directors whose singular vision has generated $1 billion at the global box office, a milestone that is testament to her brilliance and to her commitment to deliver a movie that Barbie fans of every age want to see on the big screen.”

The film, which earlier scored the biggest opening weekend of the year, "has captured the imagination of moviegoers around the world and the results are incredibly impressive," analyst Paul Dergarabedian of Comscore said.

Universal's "Oppenheimer," the dark historical drama that has placed second to "Barbie" in their debut weeks, was bumped by Warner Bros. newcomer "Meg 2: The Trench," an action film featuring gargantuan prehistoric sharks.

"Meg 2" pulled in $30 million for the weekend, while Christopher Nolan's "Oppenheimer" earned $28.7 million to push its global total to $552 million.

That total made the story about the creation of the atomic bomb the all-time top grossing World War II film, ahead of Nolan's own "Dunkirk" ($527 million) and Steven Spielberg’s "Saving Private Ryan" ($482 million), not adjusted for inflation, according to Hollywood Reporter.

Fourth place for the weekend went to "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem," the latest in the franchise about a team of reptilian heroes in a half shell. The Paramount animated comedy, featuring the voices of Jackie Chan and Post Malone, brought in $28 million.

Disney release "Haunted Mansion" slid two spots to fifth, with the lavishly produced kid-centric film -- starring LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish and Owen Wilson -- earning $8.9 million.

Holding its own in sixth was the independent "Sound of Freedom," from Santa Fe Films and Angel Studios, at $7 million. The low-budget action thriller has sparked controversy, with critics saying its story about child sex trafficking plays into Qanon conspiracy theories.

All in all, it was an exceptional weekend for Hollywood, with the top four films all raking in $28 million or more.

Not only did the top films come close to doubling the total from the same weekend last year, they surpassed the corresponding pre-pandemic weekend in 2019, analysts said.

Ken might even have said -- a line Ryan Gosling reportedly ad libbed during the filming of "Barbie" -- that the weekend was "Sublime!"

"Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part 1" ($6.4 million)

"Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" ($1.5 million)

<h1>'Barbie' races past $1 billion at the box office, first for solo woman director</h1>LOS ANGELES, United States - Hollywood's pink wave has yet to crest as Warner Bros.' "Barbie" dominated for a third straight weekend in North American theaters, pushing the film's global haul past $1 billion in a first for a woman director, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations said Sunday.The Greta Gerwig-directed blockbuster, starring Margot Robbie as iconic doll Barbie and Ryan Gosling as boyfriend Ken, earned a projected $53 million for the Friday-through-Sunday period, for a domestic total of $459 million and a whopping $1.03 billion worldwide.Not only has "Barbie" thus become the first movie directed solely by a woman to pass the $1 billion mark, but it did so faster than any film -- including those directed by men -- in Warner Bros.' 100-year history, executives there said.Jeff Goldstein, Warner Bros. President of Domestic Distribution, and Andrew Cripps, President of International Distribution, for Warner Bros. Pictures, said: "As distribution chiefs, we’re not often rendered speechless by a film’s performance, but Barbillion has blown even our most optimistic predictions out of the water.""This is a watershed moment for ‘Barbie,’ and no one but Greta Gerwig could have brought this cross-generational icon and her world to life in such a funny, emotional and entertaining story, one that is resonating with all four quadrants of moviegoers and literally turning the entire world pink. Long lines and repeat viewings prove that movies are back in a big, big way, and we look forward to seeing just how far ‘Barbie’ can go in the real world.”Added Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy, Co-Chairs &amp; CEOs of Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, “A massive achievement like this is possible when you have an incredible filmmaking team, with cast and crew coming together to create a truly special moviegoing experience. Along with our partners at Mattel, and with the support of the entire Warner Bros. Discovery family, we are thrilled that audiences the world over are embracing the ‘Barbie’ movie in such a profound way.""With ‘Barbie’ becoming the biggest film at the summer box office, Greta now joins an elite group of writer/directors whose singular vision has generated $1 billion at the global box office, a milestone that is testament to her brilliance and to her commitment to deliver a movie that Barbie fans of every age want to see on the big screen.”The film, which earlier scored the biggest opening weekend of the year, "has captured the imagination of moviegoers around the world and the results are incredibly impressive," analyst Paul Dergarabedian of Comscore said.Universal's "Oppenheimer," the dark historical drama that has placed second to "Barbie" in their debut weeks, was bumped by Warner Bros. newcomer "Meg 2: The Trench," an action film featuring gargantuan prehistoric sharks."Meg 2" pulled in $30 million for the weekend, while Christopher Nolan's "Oppenheimer" earned $28.7 million to push its global total to $552 million.That total made the story about the creation of the atomic bomb the all-time top grossing World War II film, ahead of Nolan's own "Dunkirk" ($527 million) and Steven Spielberg’s "Saving Private Ryan" ($482 million), not adjusted for inflation, according to Hollywood Reporter.Fourth place for the weekend went to "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem," the latest in the franchise about a team of reptilian heroes in a half shell. The Paramount animated comedy, featuring the voices of Jackie Chan and Post Malone, brought in $28 million.Disney release "Haunted Mansion" slid two spots to fifth, with the lavishly produced kid-centric film -- starring LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish and Owen Wilson -- earning $8.9 million.Holding its own in sixth was the independent "Sound of Freedom," from Santa Fe Films and Angel Studios, at $7 million. The low-budget action thriller has sparked controversy, with critics saying its story about child sex trafficking plays into Qanon conspiracy theories.All in all, it was an exceptional weekend for Hollywood, with the top four films all raking in $28 million or more.Not only did the top films come close to doubling the total from the same weekend last year, they surpassed the corresponding pre-pandemic weekend in 2019, analysts said.Ken might even have said -- a line Ryan Gosling reportedly ad libbed during the filming of "Barbie" -- that the weekend was "Sublime!"Rounding out the top 10 were:"Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part 1" ($6.4 million)"Talk to Me" ($6.2 million)"Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" ($1.5 million)"Elemental" ($1.2 million)

Film / Drama

'Barbie' races past $1 billion at the box office, first for solo woman director

NEW YORK - Warner Bros. in the United States has apologized over a social media controversy involving the official promoter of its blockbuster movie "Barbie" cheerfully engaging with user posts linking the film's main character to atomic bomb-related imagery inspired by the biopic "Oppenheimer" released at the same time.

Following the Japanese distributor's criticism on Monday of its U.S. counterpart, Warner Bros. Film Group reportedly said in a statement to multiple media outlets, "Warner Brothers regrets its recent insensitive social media engagement. The studio offers a sincere apology."

Warner Bros. Japan LLC had expressed regret over the U.S. headquarters' Barbie Movie account's responses to some social media posts, apparently referring to its positive replies to mashups of the bubbly satire and the film about Robert Oppenheimer, a physicist who led the project of making atomic bombs.

The two films have topped the U.S. box office since they came out on July 21. Seizing on the simultaneous release of the contrasting films, media have referred to the two collectively as "Barbenheimer" and a host of memes have sprouted up online.

One such image appears to depict the actors who portray Barbie and Oppenheimer posing happily in front of an apocalyptic blast that some in Japan have said resembles the real destruction of the U.S. atomic bombs dropped at the closing stage of World War II.

The Barbie Movie account replied to the viral post, saying, "It's going to be a summer to remember" with an emoji of a face blowing a kiss.

Another user apparently replaced the "Barbie" star's hair with a mushroom cloud in a separate image. The film's official account said, "This Ken is a stylist," referring to the name of Barbie's boyfriend.

"Barbie" is slated for release in Japan on Aug. 11, while there is no information about whether "Oppenheimer" will hit theaters in the country.

The United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945, causing an estimated 210,000 deaths by the end of the year, mostly among civilians, according to the cities.

Many U.S. polls have indicated that some in the country believe the nuclear attacks on Japan were necessary to end the war.

<h1>Warner Bros. apologizes over 'Barbenheimer' social media flap</h1>NEW YORK - Warner Bros. in the United States has apologized over a social media controversy involving the official promoter of its blockbuster movie "Barbie" cheerfully engaging with user posts linking the film's main character to atomic bomb-related imagery inspired by the biopic "Oppenheimer" released at the same time.Following the Japanese distributor's criticism on Monday of its U.S. counterpart, Warner Bros. Film Group reportedly said in a statement to multiple media outlets, "Warner Brothers regrets its recent insensitive social media engagement. The studio offers a sincere apology."Warner Bros. Japan LLC had expressed regret over the U.S. headquarters' Barbie Movie account's responses to some social media posts, apparently referring to its positive replies to mashups of the bubbly satire and the film about Robert Oppenheimer, a physicist who led the project of making atomic bombs.<img style="max-width:100%;height:auto;" src="https://vritimes-public.s3.ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/production/dbd8fbff472f07a651df6a9fb64b8d8d0616d201436eea94cf7727b50f918d99/20230722-oppenheimer_epa.webp" alt="Image"/>The two films have topped the U.S. box office since they came out on July 21. Seizing on the simultaneous release of the contrasting films, media have referred to the two collectively as "Barbenheimer" and a host of memes have sprouted up online.One such image appears to depict the actors who portray Barbie and Oppenheimer posing happily in front of an apocalyptic blast that some in Japan have said resembles the real destruction of the U.S. atomic bombs dropped at the closing stage of World War II.The Barbie Movie account replied to the viral post, saying, "It's going to be a summer to remember" with an emoji of a face blowing a kiss.Another user apparently replaced the "Barbie" star's hair with a mushroom cloud in a separate image. The film's official account said, "This Ken is a stylist," referring to the name of Barbie's boyfriend."Barbie" is slated for release in Japan on Aug. 11, while there is no information about whether "Oppenheimer" will hit theaters in the country.The United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945, causing an estimated 210,000 deaths by the end of the year, mostly among civilians, according to the cities.Many U.S. polls have indicated that some in the country believe the nuclear attacks on Japan were necessary to end the war.

Warner Bros. apologizes over 'Barbenheimer' social media flap

LOS ANGELES - Warner Bros.' blockbuster "Barbie" earned an estimated $93 million in North American theaters this weekend as it continued "rolling down a hill of cash," industry watcher Exhibitor Relations reported Sunday.

Taken together with Universal's dark biopic "Oppenheimer," which took in a mighty $46.2 million in its own second weekend out, the two films provided a much-needed "Barbenheimer" boost during a middling Hollywood summer.

"July would have been a lukewarm month, but then 'Barbie' and 'Oppenheimer' arrived, moviegoing exploded, and within one week, July caught up to its pre-pandemic average," said analyst David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research.

Last weekend, "Barbie" scored the biggest opening weekend of the year, at $80.5 million, showing eyebrow-raising appeal for a movie based on a small plastic doll living in a perfect pink world.

With Margot Robbie as "Barbie" and Ryan Gosling as boyfriend "Ken," the Greta Gerwig film has now generated $351.4 million in North American ticket sales, along with $423 million abroad, likely setting it on track to be the next billion-dollar flick.

"Oppenheimer" also showed exceptional strength for a historical drama, with its second-weekend result -- like that of "Barbie" -- among the best in box-office history, said analyst Paul Dergarabedian. The story of the creation of America's atomic bomb has now earned $174.1 million domestically and $226 million abroad.

In third for the weekend was a new Disney release, "Haunted Mansion," at $24.2 million. Disney spent $150 million to produce the kid-centric film so it has a way to go to reach profitability, according to Variety. The movie stars LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish and Owen Wilson.

Fourth spot went to the independent "Sound of Freedom," from Santa Fe Films and Angel Studios, at $12.4 million. The low-budget action thriller has sparked controversy, with critics saying its story about child sex trafficking plays into Qanon conspiracy theories.

And hanging steady at fifth was Paramount's "Mission: Impossible -- Dead Reckoning Part One." This latest in the popular Tom Cruise series took in $10.7 million, meaning all of the top five films scored in the double-digit millions.

"Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" ($4 million)

"Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" ($1.4 million)

<h1>'Barbie' stays atop 'hill of cash' in N.America theaters</h1>LOS ANGELES - Warner Bros.' blockbuster "Barbie" earned an estimated $93 million in North American theaters this weekend as it continued "rolling down a hill of cash," industry watcher Exhibitor Relations reported Sunday.Taken together with Universal's dark biopic "Oppenheimer," which took in a mighty $46.2 million in its own second weekend out, the two films provided a much-needed "Barbenheimer" boost during a middling Hollywood summer."July would have been a lukewarm month, but then 'Barbie' and 'Oppenheimer' arrived, moviegoing exploded, and within one week, July caught up to its pre-pandemic average," said analyst David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research.Last weekend, "Barbie" scored the biggest opening weekend of the year, at $80.5 million, showing eyebrow-raising appeal for a movie based on a small plastic doll living in a perfect pink world.With Margot Robbie as "Barbie" and Ryan Gosling as boyfriend "Ken," the Greta Gerwig film has now generated $351.4 million in North American ticket sales, along with $423 million abroad, likely setting it on track to be the next billion-dollar flick."Oppenheimer" also showed exceptional strength for a historical drama, with its second-weekend result -- like that of "Barbie" -- among the best in box-office history, said analyst Paul Dergarabedian. The story of the creation of America's atomic bomb has now earned $174.1 million domestically and $226 million abroad.In third for the weekend was a new Disney release, "Haunted Mansion," at $24.2 million. Disney spent $150 million to produce the kid-centric film so it has a way to go to reach profitability, according to Variety. The movie stars LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish and Owen Wilson.Fourth spot went to the independent "Sound of Freedom," from Santa Fe Films and Angel Studios, at $12.4 million. The low-budget action thriller has sparked controversy, with critics saying its story about child sex trafficking plays into Qanon conspiracy theories.And hanging steady at fifth was Paramount's "Mission: Impossible -- Dead Reckoning Part One." This latest in the popular Tom Cruise series took in $10.7 million, meaning all of the top five films scored in the double-digit millions.Rounding out the top 10 were:"Talk to Me" ($10 million)"Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" ($4 million)"Elemental" ($3.4 million)"Insidious: The Red Door" ($3.2 million)"Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" ($1.4 million)