MARGOT ROBBIE WAS RIGHT: 'BARBIE' WILL BE A BILLION-DOLLAR MOVIE
"Oppenheimer" could reach half those numbers, an equally impressive achievement.
When pitching “Barbie” to Warner Bros. executives, producer and star Margot Robbie laid it out: Universal has dinosaurs and Steven Spielberg, Warner Bros. could have Barbie and Greta Gerwig. As she told Collider, “And I think I told them that it’d make a billion dollars, which maybe I was overselling, but we had a movie to make, OK?!”
The second weekend will be vital to narrow the guess, but the domestic range could be anywhere from $500 million-$800 million. With over $400 million in worldwide sales in less than a week, a $1 billion total theatrical take seems increasingly likely.
“Oppenheimer” should achieve about half of that. It grossed a little over $12.0 million on Monday and Tuesday. A range for the domestic estimate is $250 million-$400 million.
“Barbie” is also significantly ahead of both “Top Gun: Maverick” and “Avatar: The Way of Water.” After five days, “Maverick” grossed $176 million, including Memorial Day. James Cameron’s sequel grossed $168 million by the same point.
At the high end “Oppenheimer” could be third best of the year, behind only “Super Mario” and “Barbie.” “Barbie” will easily top “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” which will end up around $385 million, and “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” ($359 million). “Oppenheimer” has a shot to get close to both of these hits; that’s unexpected. A $400 million- $500 million worldwide gross would exceed the most optimistic pre-release projections.
OPENING THIS WEEK
"Talk to Me" — OPENS FRIDAY, JULY 27 AT THE MULTIPLEX
A 2022 Australian supernatural horror film directed by Danny and Michael Philippou, in their feature film directorial debut. The film is written by Danny Philippou and Bill Hinzman from a concept by Daley Pearson, and stars Sophie Wilde, with Alexandra Jensen andJoe Bird appearing in supporting roles.
When a group of friends discover how to conjure spirits using an embalmed hand, they become hooked on the new thrill, until one of them goes too far and unleashes terrifying supernatural forces.
The film had its preview screening at the 2022 Adelaide Film Festival, followed by its world premiere at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival on 22 January 2023.
"Haunted Mansion" — OPENS FRIDAY, JULY 28 AT THE MULTIPLEX
A 2023 American supernatural horror comedy film directed byJustin Simien from a screenplay by Katie Dippold. A woman and her son enlist a motley crew of so-called spiritual experts to help rid their home of supernatural squatters. The film starsLaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish, Owen Wilson, Danny DeVito, Rosario Dawson, Dan Levy,Jamie Lee Curtis, and Jared Leto. Produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Rideback, it is the second theatrical film adaptation of Walt Disney's theme park attraction The Haunted Mansion, following the 2003 film of the same name. In the film, Gabbie (Dawson) and Travis (Chase W. Dillon) enlist the aid of a team (Stanfield, Haddish, Wilson, and DeVito) to help exorcise their mansion and destroy the ghosts around them.
"Theater Camp" — OPENS FRIDAY, JULY 28 AT THE STATE WITH ADVANCE SCREENING TODAY
A 2023 American comedy film directed by Molly Gordon and Nick Lieberman in their directorial debuts, from a screenplay by Gordon, Lieberman, Ben Platt and Noah Galvin. A feature-length adaptation of the 2020 short film of the same name, the film features an ensemble cast that includes Galvin, Gordon, Platt,Jimmy Tatro, Patti Harrison, Nathan Lee Graham, Ayo Edebiri, Owen Thiele,Caroline Aaron and Amy Sedaris. Will Ferrell serves as a producer under his Gloria Sanchez Productions banner. It had its world premiere at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. It received positive reviews from critics.
As summer rolls around again, kids are gathering from all over to attend AdirondACTS, a scrappy theater camp in upstate New York that's a haven for budding performers. After its indomitable founder Joan falls into a coma, her clueless “crypto-bro” son Troy is tasked with keeping the thespian paradise running. With financial ruin looming, Troy must join forces with Amos, Rebecca-Diane, and their band of eccentric teachers and students to come up with a solution before the curtain rises on opening night.
SPECIAL SCREENINGS DOWNTOWN
"My Neighbor Totoro" — PLAYS TONIGHT AT 7:30 PM AT THE STATE
Part of the Summer of Studio Ghibli 2023 series
From the legendary Studio Ghibli, creators of "Spirited Away" and "Ponyo," and Academy Award®-winning director Hayao Miyazaki, comes a classic tale of magic and adventure for the whole family. When Satsuki and her sister Mei move with their father to a new home in the countryside, they find country life is not as simple as it seems. They soon discover that the house and nearby woods are full of strange and delightful creatures, including a gigantic but gentle forest spirit called Totoro, who can only be seen by children. Totoro and his friends introduce the girls to a series of adventures, including a ride aboard the extraordinary Cat Bus, in this all-ages animated masterpiece.
"They Live" — PLAYS FRIDAY, JULY 28 AT 9:30 PM AT THE STATE
Part of the Late Nights at the State series
Nada (Roddy Piper), a wanderer without meaning in his life, discovers a pair of sunglasses capable of showing the world the way it truly is. As he walks the streets of Los Angeles, Nada notices that both the media and the government are comprised of subliminal messages meant to keep the population subdued, and that most of the social elite are skull-faced aliens bent on world domination. With this shocking discovery, Nada fights to free humanity from the mind-controlling aliens. From writer/directorJohn Carpenter.
"Ocean Waves" — PLAYS SATURDAY, JULY 29 AT 3:30 PM AND THURSDAY, AUGUST 3 AT 7:30 PM AT THE STATE
Part of the Summer of Studio Ghibli 2023 series
Rarely seen outside of Japan, this film is a subtle, poignant and wonderfully detailed story of adolescence and teenage isolation. Taku and his best friend Yutaka are headed back to school for what looks like another uneventful year. But they soon find their friendship tested by the arrival of Rikako, a beautiful new transfer student from Tokyo whose attitude vacillates wildly from flirty and flippant to melancholic. When Taku joins Rikako on a trip to Tokyo, the school erupts with rumors, and the three friends are forced to come to terms with their changing relationships.
The film was the first Studio Ghibli film directed by someone other than studio founders Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, as director Tomomi Mochizuki led a talented staff of younger employees in an adaptation of Saeko Himuro’s best-selling novel. Language: Japanese with English subtitles.
"The Sting"— PLAYS SUNDAY, JULY 30 AT 1 PM AND TUESDAY, AUGUST 1 AT 7:30 PM AT THE STATE
Part of the Summer Classics film series
Following the murder of a mutual friend, aspiring con man Johnny Hooker (Robert Redford) teams up with old pro Henry Gondorff (Paul Newman) to take revenge on the ruthless crime boss responsible, Doyle Lonnegan (Robert Shaw). Hooker and Gondorff set about implementing an elaborate scheme, one so crafty that Lonnegan won't even know he's been swindled. As their big con unfolds, however, things don't go according to plan, requiring some last-minute improvisation by the undaunted duo. From director George Roy Hill("Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid").
"Drop Dead Gorgeous"— PLAYS MONDAY, JULY 31 AT THE STATE
Part of the Films We Love series
An annual beauty pageant in small-town Minnesota turns ridiculously competitive and ultimately chaotic in this biting comedy. Amber Atkins (Kirsten Dunst), the daughter of hard-drinking mom Annette (Ellen Barkin), and Becky Leeman (Denise Richards), who is motivated by her former beauty-queen mother, Gladys (Kirstie Alley), are among the top contenders in the event. As Amber, Becky, and other local girls prepare for the big day, bizarre incidents occur, leading up to an ending with a bang. From directorMichael Patrick Jann and also starring Allison Janney.
CONTINUING DOWNTOWN
A 2023 fantasy comedy film directed by Greta Gerwig, who wrote it with Noah Baumbach. Gerwig collaborated with her partner Noah Baumbach on several films, including "Greenberg" (2010) and "Frances Ha" (2012), for which she received a Golden Globe Award nomination, "Mistress America" (2015), and "White Noise" (2022). She also appeared in many other films including as a voice actor in Wes Anderson's "Isle of Dogs" (2018). As a solo filmmaker, Gerwig has written and directed the coming-of-age films "Lady Bird" (2017) and "Little Women" (2019), both of which earned nominations for the Academy Award for Best Picture.
The film stars Margot Robbie as Barbie and Ryan Gosling as Ken, who go on a journey of self-discovery after their expulsion from the utopian Barbie Land. Appearing in supporting roles are America Ferrera, Kate McKinnon, Issa Rae, Rhea Perlman, and Will Ferrell.
The was first announced in September 2009. Following multiple writer and director changes and the casting of Amy Schumerand later Anne Hathaway in the titular role, Sony lost the rights, which were transferred to Warner Bros. Pictures in October 2018, with Robbie being cast in 2019. Gerwig was announced as director and co-writer with Baumbach in 2021. Gosling and the rest of the cast were announced in early 2022. Filming took place primarily at Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden in England from March to July 2022. Barbie premiered at The Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on July 9, 2023.
After being expelled from the utopian Barbie Land for being less-than-perfect dolls, Barbie and Ken go on a journey of self-discovery to the real world. OR to live in Barbie Land is to be a perfect being in a perfect place. Unless you have a full-on existential crisis. Or you're a Ken.
An epic biographical thriller film written, produced, and directed by Christopher Nolan, based on the 2005 biography "American Prometheus" by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin, about J. Robert Oppenheimer, the theoretical physicist who helped develop the first nuclear weapons. The film stars Cillian Murphyas the title character, with a supporting ensemble cast including Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., Florence Pugh, Josh Hartnett, Casey Affleck, Rami Malek, and Kenneth Branagh.
The film was announced in September 2021 when Universal Pictures won the bidding war. Filming began in late February 2022 and wrapped that May. Cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema shot the film in a combination of IMAX 65mm and 65mm large-format film—including, for the first time, sections in IMAX black-and-white analog photography. As on his previous works, Nolan utilized extensive practical effects and minimal computer-generated imagery. The film premiered at Le Grand Rex in Paris on July 11, 2023. It is Nolan's first film not to be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures domestically or internationally since "Memento" (2000).
Nora and Hae Sung, two deeply connected childhood friends, are wrest apart after Nora's family emigrates from South Korea. Two decades later, they are reunited in New York for one fateful week as they confront notions of destiny, love, and the choices that make a life, in this heartrending modern romance.
A 2023 American romantic drama film written and directed by Celine Song in her feature directorial debut. The film stars Greta Lee, Teo Yoo and John Magaro, and follows a reunion between two childhood friends as they contemplate their relationship and their own lives. The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 21, 2023, and has received almost universal acclaim from critics.
This is a 2023 American comedy-drama film directed and co-produced by Wes Andersonfrom a screenplay by Anderson and a story by Anderson and Roman Coppola. The film features an ensemble cast that includes Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks, Jeffrey Wright,Tilda Swinton, Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Adrien Brody, Liev Schreiber, Hope Davis, Steve Park,Rupert Friend, Maya Hawke, Steve Carell, Matt Dillon, Hong Chau, Willem Dafoe, Margot Robbie, and Jeff Goldblum. Its metatextual plot simultaneously depicts the events of a Junior Stargazer convention in a retro-futuristic version of 1955, staged as a play, and the creation of the play.
The film had its world premiere at the 76th Cannes Film Festival on May 23, 2023. The film received an extended standing ovation from the Cannes Film Festival audience and positive reviews from critics.
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