NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� The DC superhero film led weekend ticket sales with a modest $25.4 million opening, according to studio estimates Sunday, dethroning 鈥淏arbie鈥� from the top spot after a record-setting run that left movie theaters colored pink for a month.
The 鈥淏arbie鈥� phenomenon is far from over. , which earlier this week became the highest grossing Warner Bros. release ever domestically, nearly managed to stay No. 1 again with $21.5 million in its fifth weekend. It's up to $567.3 million in North America and an eye-popping $1.28 billion globally.
The other half of also continues to perform remarkably well for a movie so far into its run.
took in $10.6 million in its fifth week. With a $285.2 million domestic total, 鈥淥ppenheimer鈥� now owns the distinction of being the biggest box-office hit never to land No. 1 at the weekend box office. The previous record-holder for that unlikely stat is 2016鈥檚 鈥淪ing,鈥� which grossed $270.3 million in the shadow of 鈥淩ogue One: A Star Wars Story鈥� and 鈥淗idden Figures.鈥�
Universal Pictures' 鈥淥ppenheimer鈥� has done even better overseas. Its global gross stands at an estimated $717.8 million through Sunday.
鈥淏lue Beetle," starring Xolo Maridue帽a, came in on the lower side of expectations and notched one of the lower debuts for a DC Comics movie. Though earlier planned as a streaming-only release, Warner Bros. elected to put 鈥淏lue Beetle,鈥� the first DC movie to star a Latino superhero, into theaters in the late summer, a typically quiet period at the box office.
The production price tag of about $105 million was lower for 鈥淏lue Beetle鈥� than the average superhero film. It's one of the last releases produced under an earlier regime at DC Studios, which James Gunn and Peter Safran
The film, directed by 脕ngel Manuel Soto and written by Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer, drew solid reviews 鈥� certainly better than the three previous DC releases this year (鈥淭he Flash,鈥� 鈥淏lack Adam鈥� and 鈥淪hazam! Fury of the Gods鈥�). 鈥淏lue Beetle鈥� (76% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) is
But it also faced some tough luck, and not just in the unexpected staying power of 鈥淏arbie鈥� and 鈥淥ppenheimer.鈥� Southern California was bracing Sunday for 鈥� potentially dampening ticket sales in the region. (Los Angeles was still its top market.) And like recent releases, 鈥淏lue Beetle," which added $18 million internationally, didn't have its cast available to promote the movie due to
Universal鈥檚 raunchy R-rated canine comedy 鈥淪trays鈥� showed even less bite. The film, with a voice cast including Will Ferrell and Jamie Foxx, landed in fifth place with $8.4 million. Comedies have generally struggled in theaters in recent years, but 鈥淪trays鈥� had it particularly rough given that its starry cast was unavailable.
鈥淪trays鈥� was very narrowly bested by 鈥淭eenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem." The Paramount Pictures animated release earned $8.4 million in its third weekend, bringing its domestic total to $88.1 million.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. "Blue Beetle," $25.4 million.
2. 鈥淏arbie,鈥� $21.5 million.
3. 鈥淥ppenheimer,鈥� $10.6 million.
4. 鈥淭eenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem," $8.4 million.
5. 鈥淪trays,鈥� $8.3 million.
6. 鈥淢eg 2: The Trench,鈥� $6.7 million.
7. 鈥淭alk to Me,鈥� $3.2 million.
8. 鈥淗aunted Mansion,鈥� $3 million.
9. 鈥淢ission: Impossible 鈥� Dead Reckoning Part One,鈥� $2.7 million.
10. 鈥淭he Last Voyage of the Demeter,鈥� $2.5 million.
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Jake Coyle, The Associated Press
