Barbie Zooms Past Super Mario Bros and Harry Potter and Gran Turismo Zooms to First Place in Debut Weekend
Welcome to another weekly installment of Couch Potato, where I go over what went down on the big and small screens so you can be a better-informed viewer.
Whether it’s the Barbie Dream Car or a racecar, it was a great weekend for movies across the board last weekend, just in time for National Cinema Day. Starting off this week, debuting at number one, was Gran Turismo with an impressive $17.4 million at the domestic box office. The incredible true story of a gamer turned professional driver clearly sparked a chord with moviegoers across America, as the strike forced the movie to rely entirely on word-of-mouth praise.
Next up, standing strong at number two was Barbie once again, with an almost unheard of 28% drop from last weekend in its SIXTH weekend since release. The $15.1 million added to her domestic box office total officially makes her the highest-grossing domestic film of 2023, surpassing the previous record holder, The Super Mario Bros. Movie. This also brings her global total to $1.342 billion, surpassing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 to become the highest-grossing movie in Warner Bros.’ history.
Finally, rounding out the “Top of the Top 10” was DC’s Blue Beetle, which seems to have already fallen from its not-so-graceful debut, adding a mere $12.1 million to its domestic total. It’s only a 51% drop, which is not the worst drop it could’ve had. James Gunn’s DCEU is not off to the best start. We expect to see it fall to somewhere in the middle of the Top 10 by as early as next week. Rough!
When it comes to streaming, Netflix’s original animated film, The Monkey King, took the number-one spot with over 14 million views. It’s not all bad news for Gal Gadot fans, though, as Heart of Stone held firm just behind them in second place with 13 million views of her own. Finally, rounding out the “Top of the Top 10” is Adam Sandler’s newest delivery for Netflix, You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah, bringing his family members in the cast to an impressive debut in third place with 12 million views.
If you’re looking for a new binge-watch, every entry in the “Top of the Top 10” for streaming is a low-commitment limited series. In an impressive debut week, Who is Erin Carter? racked up over 75 million hours viewed, leaving the rest of the competition in the dust. DEPP V HEARD came in second this week, with over 20 million hours viewed for those who couldn’t get enough during the famous trials. Finally, rounding out the “Top of the Top 10” was last week’s winner, Painkiller, if you’re looking for a rehash of the story that Dopesick told a few years ago.
Next week, The Equalizer 3, starring Denzel Washington and Dakota Fanning, is hoping to assassinate the competition.
Stay tuned for that, and until next time, happy viewing!
Special to The Central Observer, Elton Allen
About the Author
Elton Allen is thrilled to be a contributing author on The Central Observer. As a proud native of Central Jersey, he looks forward to getting to help out a publication based right out of his backyard. He proudly runs the Couch Potato Corner and our Health & Wellness section. His professional writing background spans nearly a decade and covers a variety of industries, including healthcare, marketing, career counseling, entertainment, and more.