‘Barbenheimer’ breaks local records

THE TWO summer blockbusters which make up the ‘Barbenheimer’ phenomenon — Greta Gerwig’s Barbie and Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer — have broken records in the Philippine box office.

Barbie was the number one movie in 55 markets, including the Philippines, according to Warner Brothers Pictures’ international distribution arm. The female-centered coming of age flick starring Margot Robbie as the titular doll marked Warner Brothers’ biggest opening weekend in the country for this year.

Meanwhile, Oppenheimer, which stars Cillian Murphy as the father of the atomic bomb, J. Robert Oppenheimer, grossed P57.75 million in just five days at the box office in the Philippines, said Universal Pictures PH.

It has become the highest-grossing IMAX release of 2023 and the biggest opening weekend for a non-superhero Nolan film in the country.

The two drastically different films are currently showing nationwide. — Brontë H. Lacsamana