Barbie exceeds expectations with $155 million opening weekend, surpassing Super Mario Bros. and Spider-Man

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

Warner Bros.' latest film, Barbie, directed by Greta Gerwig, took the box office by storm during its opening weekend, earning a whopping $155 million in the U.S. The neon-filled big-screen debut of the iconic Mattel doll surpassed early projections and emerged as the biggest movie premiere of the year.

Barbie's impressive $155 million domestic gross during its opening weekend left other contenders in the dust. Even Christopher Nolan's atomic bomb thriller Oppenheimer, which had been anticipated as a major player for the top spot, fell behind with $80.5 million in its debut. Barbie's triumph was even greater considering the stiff competition it faced during what's considered the biggest movie weekend of the year.

As the numbers poured in, the global appeal of Barbie became evident. With $155 million earned in the U.S. and a strong international presence, the film's worldwide box office opening reached an astounding $337 million. These numbers surpassed initial projections and solidified Barbie's position as a true box office sensation.

Barbie's box office success was evident from the start. On its premiere Friday, the film grossed $70.5 million in the U.S., including $22.3 million from Thursday previews. This opening day performance not only set a new record for the year but also surpassed the previous best performances of The Super Mario Bros. Movie ($54.8 million), Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse ($51.8 million), Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 ($48.1 million), and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania ($46.4 million).

In addition to outperforming Oppenheimer, Barbie's $155 million weekend haul