'Barbenheimer' fuels biggest weekend for UK cinema in four years
‘Barbenheimer’ fuels biggest weekend for UK cinema in four years with VUE saying over a fifth of its customers watched both Oppenheimer and Barbie in monster five hour double bill
- Richards, Vue CEO, said it was ‘an incredibly exciting moment for the industry’
Cinema chain Vue enjoyed its biggest weekend in four years following the same-day release of Barbie and Oppenheimer.
The multinational cinema based in London said a fifth of customers had been to see both films on the same day – despite the stark differences in genre and audience.
More than 2,000 of VUE International’s screenings for Barbie were sold out, according to the company.
Tim Richards, Chief Executive and founder of Vue, confirmed: ‘Vue saw its highest weekend admissions since Avengers: Endgame in 2019 with the release of Barbie and Oppenheimer.’
He added: ‘It is an incredibly exciting moment for the industry, and we expect this trend to continue for the coming weeks.’
In the US, Barbie broke box office records, opening to $300m as Oppenheimer drew an impressive $165m.
Margot Robbie in a scene from ‘Barbie’ (2023), opening on Friday to $300m
Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer in OPPENHEIMER, directed by Christopher Nolan
The two films, released on Friday, have contrasting storylines, with Greta Gerwig’s comedy about the famous doll Barbie, and Christopher Nolan’s biographical thriller chronicling physicist J Robert Oppenheimer’s role in developing the first atomic bomb.
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Vue said the film, starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, will exceed ticket sales for Super Mario Bros and Oppenheimer to become the biggest film of the year.
In total, the cinema chain had more than 4,000 sell-out sessions across the country during the weekend.
Odeon reported on Thursday that more than 200,000 advance tickets had been bought and over 10,000 guests were expected to see both films during the opening weekend.
Universal Pictures said Oppenheimer, which stars Cillian Murphy and Florence Pugh, had made £8.05 million in the UK and Ireland since Friday.
The film production and distribution company said the biopic is on track to have a better opening three days than Nolan’s other blockbusters Dunkirk, Interstellar and Inception.
Farhan Mehmood, who watched Barbie at 2.30pm, followed by the darker Oppenheimer at 5.15pm with a friend, told the PA news agency the films can ‘save cinema’.
The 21-year-old from Scunthorpe, who volunteers in digital marketing, said: ‘Barbie had a deep message, it paid off (with what) it said in the trailer with the tagline, ‘If you grew up with Barbie, this film is for you. If you didn’t, then it’s also for you.
‘Oppenheimer, on the other hand, leaves you with a big shock, it’s… somewhat depressing and I absolutely think it can save cinema.’
He added that viewing both films was ‘interesting’.
‘I personally think it’s made history for cinema, it’s made a lot of buzz and conversations around it,’ Mr Mehmood said.
Friends Kerry (left) and Liz attend a screening of the new Barbie film at Vue Cinema in Cribbs Causeway, Bristol on 21 July 2023
People queue to see the Barbie film at Odeon Leicester Square in London
The Greta Gerwig, 39, directed Barbie film is the second biggest opening of all time.
Only Avengers: Endgame in 2019 did better with $357 million.
Oppenheimer, starring Cillian Murphy, 47, took second place with over $80.5 million domestically and $165 million globally.
Barbie is the biggest opening of 2023, easily surpassing Super Mario Bros.’ $146.4 million.
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