"Barbie" added another $53 million from 4,178 North American locations this weekend according to studio estimates on Sunday. The Margot Robbie-led and produced film has been comfortably seated in first place for three weeks and it's hardly finished yet.
"Meg 2" managed to sneak ahead and land in second place. It overcame its abysmal reviews to score a $30 million opening weekend from 3,503 locations. The Warner Bros. release, directed by Ben Wheatley, currently has a 29% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes and a B- CinemaScore from audiences. The thriller was released in 3D, which accounted for 22% of its first weekend business.which added $28.7 million from 3,612 locations in North America, bringing its domestic total to $228.
"This is one of those movies that is a multigenerational joy," said Chris Aronson, Paramount's president of domestic distribution."I think the enduring popularity of 'Turtles' is showing its true colors. And there hasn't been an animated film in eight weeks and there won't be another for eight weeks which is great for us."
But the moment of triumph for the industry will likely be short lived if the studios can't reach an agreement with striking actors and writers soon. The fall release calendar has already gotten slimmer, with some studios pushing films into 2024 instead of trying to promote them without movie stars.