The DC superhero film “Blue Beetle” has emerged as the weekend’s box office champion with an opening of $25.4 million, as per studio estimates released on Sunday. This victory dethrones “Barbie” from its long-standing reign at the top, following a record-breaking run that saw movie theatres donned in pink hues for a month.
The “Barbie” phenomenon, however, remains strong. Greta Gerwig’s film, which recently became the highest-grossing Warner Bros. release domestically, nearly retained its number-one position with a weekend haul of $21.5 million in its fifth week. Its North American total now stands at $567.3 million, while it has amassed a staggering $1.28 billion globally.
The other half of the “Barbenheimer” duo continues to exhibit impressive performance, even this deep into its theatrical run. Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” raked in $10.6 million during its fifth week. With a domestic tally of $285.2 million, “Oppenheimer” holds the unique distinction of being the highest-grossing film never to have secured the top weekend box office spot. The previous record-holder was 2016’s “Sing,” which amassed $270.3 million amid competition from “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” and “Hidden Figures.”
“Oppenheimer” has notched an even more impressive performance on the international stage, amassing an estimated $717.8 million globally as of Sunday.
“Blue Beetle” Enters the Scene
“Blue Beetle,” featuring Xolo Maridueña, made its debut on the lower end of expectations and secured one of the more modest openings for a DC Comics movie. Originally intended as a streaming-only release, Warner Bros. opted to launch “Blue Beetle,” the first DC film to feature a Latino superhero, in theatres during late summer, a traditionally quieter period for the box office.
With a production cost of approximately $105 million, “Blue Beetle” boasted a lower budget compared to the average superhero film. It represents one of the final releases produced under the previous leadership at DC Studios, with James Gunn and Peter Safran taking the reins last year.
Directed by Ángel Manuel Soto and written by Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer, the film garnered favourable reviews, surpassing the critical reception of the three previous DC releases this year (“The Flash,” “Black Adam,” and “Shazam! Fury of the Gods”). “Blue Beetle” currently holds a 76% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes and stands out as a comic-book film that prominently features a Hispanic cast.
“Blue Beetle” has swooped into the box office arena, claiming the top spot for the weekend, albeit with a more modest debut. Meanwhile, “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” continue to demonstrate remarkable staying power. As the film landscape evolves, these titles showcase the diverse offerings and audience appeals that the movie industry continues to deliver.