In a fierce battle for the top spot at the box office, “Gran Turismo: Based on a True Story” and “Barbie” are neck and neck, with the video game adaptation slightly ahead of Greta Gerwig’s pop sensation, according to studio estimates on Sunday. Sony Pictures reported that “Gran Turismo” opened with $17.3 million over the weekend, while Warner Bros. estimated that “Barbie,” in its sixth week of release, earned $17.1 million. These numbers may change when final ticket sales are counted. However, due to special circumstances, it is highly likely that “Barbie” actually sold more tickets than any other movie during the weekend, despite “Gran Turismo” claiming the top spot.
One reason for this is that it was an extraordinary weekend in theaters. The second annual National Cinema Day was held on Sunday, with $4 tickets available for all films and showtimes at nearly all theaters in the country. “Barbie” was expected to be the main attraction during this discounted day, especially benefiting from repeat viewings. With a domestic total of $594.8 million in ticket sales, “Barbie” has surpassed “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” to become the highest-grossing domestic hit of the year. It is also inching closer to the global record of “Mario” with $1.34 billion worldwide.
National Cinema Day is a strategic move to lure moviegoers to theaters during a usually slow period and make up for lost ticket revenue through increased popcorn sales. Last year’s event drew 8.1 million moviegoers, making it the busiest day of the year for theaters. Warner Bros. estimated that “Barbie” would gross $7.8 million on Sunday, indicating that almost 2 million people watched the film that day.
Despite “Barbie” being the clear winner of the weekend, “Gran Turismo” has a small advantage in terms of gross earnings, albeit a somewhat debatable one. Sony is including a significant amount from preview screenings and Thursday previews in their weekend totals for “Gran Turismo,” which is a common practice in Hollywood and has expanded the definition of an opening weekend. Warner Bros. distribution chief, Jeff Goldstein, acknowledges the impressive performance of “Barbie,” having held the number one spot for five weekends since its release. He feels that taking away the top spot wouldn’t be fair to the filmmakers of “Barbie” who deserved recognition for their achievement.
Regardless of the weekend outcome, “Gran Turismo” had a decent start considering its $60 million budget. The film, directed by Neill Blomkamp, tells the story of a young man who goes from being a PlayStation video game enthusiast to a real-life racer. Audiences responded positively, giving it an “A” CinemaScore. The ongoing strike by actors and screenwriters has limited the studios’ ability to promote films with their casts, forcing Sony to rely on audience word-of-mouth to generate buzz for “Gran Turismo.”
Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for data firm Comscore, recognizes the pursuit of being the number one film for every movie but asserts that regardless of the outcome, “Barbie” is an undeniable global blockbuster. Sony’s decision to let the audience become the marketing voice for the film was necessary in the absence of stars to promote it.
Other films in the rankings include last week’s top film, “Blue Beetle,” which slipped to third place with $12.8 million in its second week. Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” followed in fourth place, grossing $9 million in its sixth week. A few new releases also debuted, such as MGM’s high-school comedy “Bottoms,” Liam Neeson’s thriller “Retribution,” the sports drama “The Hill” starring Dennis Quaid, and “Golda,” featuring Helen Mirren as the former Israeli prime minister.
Overall, the North American box office is on the cusp of breaking $4 billion for the summer, thanks to the success of “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer.” If achieved, it would be the first time since 2019.
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