Barbie's Cinematic Debut Shatters Records with $162 Million in Ticket Sales

 Barbie's Cinematic Debut Shatters Records with $162 Million in Ticket Sales

Barbie's Cinematic Debut Shatters Records with $162 Million(Image-Getty)

Barbie's cinematic debut shattered initial estimates as it raked in an impressive $162 million in ticket sales across the United States and Canada over the weekend, according to distributor Warner Bros (WBD.O) on Monday.

The actual Friday to Sunday earnings for the "Barbie" movie, featuring renowned stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, slightly exceeded the studio's Sunday estimate of $155 million.

"Barbie" now holds the prestigious title of being the top-grossing movie of the year based on domestic opening weekend sales, surpassing the previous record set by "The Super Mario Bros. Movie," which earned $146.4 million upon its April release.

Internationally, director Greta Gerwig's fresh take on the beloved Mattel Inc (MAT.O) doll added a massive $194.3 million across 63 markets, bringing its global debut to an astounding $356.3 million.

The box office witnessed an intense showdown between "Barbie" and director Christopher Nolan's "Oppenheimer," aptly named "Barbenheimer."

As for "Oppenheimer," the gripping story of the atomic bomb's creation earned $82.4 million in the United States and Canada during the Friday-to-Sunday period, surpassing the previous estimate of $80.5 million.

In the international markets, "Oppenheimer" collected an additional nearly $98.0 million, resulting in a global total of $180.4 million.

Both movies significantly exceeded expectations and together propelled the U.S. and Canadian box office past $300 million, a feat accomplished only four times in history.