Barbie sets new records for the US box office

The Barbie film has become the US and Canada's biggest film of the year so far, with an estimated $155m (£120m) made in its opening weekend. Oppenheimer, directed by Christopher Nolan, focuses on the development of the first atomic bomb and starred Cillian Murphy. Barbie, directed by Greta Gerwig, tells a coming-of-age story about a character exploring identity and fostering an individual identity. Both films were released on Friday, and the competition between them was referred to as "Barbenheimer." The opening weekend for Barbie, starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, overtakes that for the opening weekend of Super Mario Bros, making it the biggest film of 2023 so far. Worldwide, Barbie's debut took in $337m (£293m). Odeon in the UK reported over 200,000 advance tickets had been bought, and around 10,000 filmgoers were expected to see both films during the opening weekend. Oppenheimer made £8.05m in the UK and Ireland since Friday, and was predicted to have a better opening three days than Christopher Nolan's other blockbusters. The film made $93.7m (£75m) in international markets, bringing its global total to $174.2m (£135m).