Barbie Wins Again; Oppenheimer, The Meg 2, Mutant Mayhem Compete for Second at Box Office

Barbie dominates, but Oppenheimer, The Meg, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles scramble for second place.

By Jamie Lovett - August 5, 2023 03:38 pm EDT

Barbie will remain atop the box office charts for a third straight weekend, while Oppenheimer tries to end off newcomers The Meg 2: The Trench and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem in the race for second place. Barbie score $17 million on its third Friday at the box office. The Greta Gerwig-helmed take on the popular Mattel toy brand will earn more than $54 million total in its third box office weekend, bringing Barbie's domestic box office total to approximately $460 million. Starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, Barbie's record-setting box office performance was foreshadowed by its A CinemaScore and high marks from critics and fans on Rotten Tomatoes. ComicBook.com's Nicole Drum gave Barbie a review score of 4.5 out of 5. She writes:

"Barbie is quite possibly Gerwig's best film to date. It is insightful, hilarious, and packed with thoughtful commentary as well as an incredible amount of Easter eggs and one-liners that will reward audiences of every age and opinion on Barbie, not just on the first watch, but on multiple rewatches. Barbie pulls off the near-impossible task of taking what could have been merely a capitalist IP-driven cash grab and turned it into a celebration of and commentary on culture that gives the audience permission and encouragement to challenge not only everything they think Barbie represents, but what the world asks of us mere humans as well so that we never go back into the box again."

Oppenheimer, The Meg 2, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem are each in the $29-30 million range. A second-place winner for the weekend likely won't officially emerge until tomorrow's updated Saturday numbers release.

The Christopher Nolan-directed Oppenheimer has been well-received by critics and audiences. ComicBook.com's Patrick Cavanaugh gave Oppenheimer a 4 out of 5 score in his review. He writes:

"After a long string of crowd-pleasers that also manage to inject ambitious philosophical and existential components, Oppenheimer is Christopher Nolan's most intellectual and internal experience in years. It showcases the universality of humanistic struggles without hingeing upon them entirely, while also subtly yet exponentially layering in explicit critiques of global war machines. Despite chronicling events that unfolded 70 years ago, exploring an arms race or being given conflicting information by government authorities and being expected to honor ever-changing ideologies feels immensely contemporary. With Oppenheimer, Nolan orchestrates a talented symphony of performers at the top of their game to explore an overlooked corner of history, treating it with nuance and respect while lesser hands would lean into melodrama. The movie is a tribute not only to the true-life figures who pushed the limits of science forward, but also to those who suffered the consequences of those forward-thinkers' quest for fire."

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem has also fared well with critics. ComicBook.com's Evan Valentine award Mutant Mayhem a 3-out-of-5 review score. He writes:

"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem has its problems and it's certainly not within striking distance of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. However, it does justify this new take on the Turtles while also giving old and new fans quite a bit to enjoy should they venture to theaters to take in this animated enterprise. These new Turtles are able to earn their existence and I'm looking forward to this new take on the sewer-centric universe. "

Unlike the films it's competing against, The Meg 2: The Trench has not been received warmly by critics. The film currently has a 28% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a critics consensus that reads, "It isn't without its fun moments, but Meg 2: The Trench suffers from a disjointed story that drifts for too long before finally delivering a few campy thrills."

Barbie, Oppenheimer, The Meg 2: The Trench, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem are playing in theaters now. The list of top 10 films at the box office this weekend follows.

1. Barbie

Week Three
Weekend: $54 million
Total: $460.4 million

In Barbie, to live in Barbie Land is to be a perfect being in a perfect place. Unless you have a full-on existential crisis. Or you're a Ken. From Oscar-nominated writer/director Greta Gerwig comes Barbie, which hit theaters on July 21st. Barbie stars Oscar-nominees Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling as Barbie and Ken, alongside America Ferrera, Kate McKinnon, Michael Cera, Ariana Greenblatt, Issa Rae, Rhea Perlman, and Will Ferrell. The film also stars Ana Cruz Kayne, Emma Mackey, Hari Nef, Alexandra Shipp, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Simu Liu, Ncuti Gatwa, Scott Evans, Jamie Demetriou, Connor Swindells, Sharon Rooney, Nicola Coughlan, Ritu Arya, Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Dua Lipa and Oscar-winner Helen Mirren. Gerwig directed Barbie from a screenplay by Gerwig & Oscar nominee Noah Baumbach, based on Barbie by Mattel.

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2. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem

does-teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-mutant-mayhem-have-post-credits-scene.jpg — (Photo: Paramount)

Opening Weekend
Weekend: $30 million
Total: $45 million

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem marks the latest movie in the long-running media franchise, and a new reboot for four turtle brothers. Seth Rogen produced the movie, and lends his voice to its huge ensemble cast. In the film, the titular heroes venture out into the real world after years of living isolated in the sewers. Though they try to be recognized as normal teenagers by their heroics, a crime syndicate with an army of mutants makes everything more difficult for them and threatens their plans for joining society. The voice cast for the film includes Micah Abbey as Donatello, Shamon Brown Jr. as Michelangelo, Nicolas Cantu as Leonardo, and Brady Noon as Raphael. TMNT: Mutant Mayhem includes a slew of celebrities as well like Ayo Edebiri as April O'Neil, Jackie Chan as Splinter, Seth Rogen as Bebop, John Cena as Rocksteady, Ice Cube as Superfly, Giancarlo Esposito as Baxter Stockman, Paul Rudd as Mondo Gecko, and Maya Rudolph as Cynthia Utrom. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem opened in theaters on August 2nd.

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3. Oppenheimer

Week Three
Weekend: $28.8 million
Total: $228.5 million

During World War II, Lt. Gen. Leslie Groves Jr. appoints physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer to work on the top-secret Manhattan Project. Oppenheimer and a team of scientists spend years developing and designing the atomic bomb. Their work comes to fruition on July 16, 1945, as they witness the world's first nuclear explosion, forever changing the course of history.

Christopher Nolan wrote and directed Oppenheimer based on the American Prometheus, the 2005 biography written by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin. The film stars Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., Florence Pugh, Josh Hartnett, Casey Affleck, Rami Malek, Tom Conti, and Kenneth Branagh.

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4. The Meg 2: The Trench

Opening Weekend
Total: $28 million

Jonas Taylor leads a research team on an exploratory dive into the deepest depths of the ocean. Their voyage spirals into chaos when a malevolent mining operation threatens their mission and forces them into a high-stakes battle for survival. Pitted against colossal, prehistoric sharks and relentless environmental plunderers, they must outrun, outsmart and outswim their merciless predators.

Ben Wheatley directed The Meg 2: The Trench from a screenplay by Jon Hoeber, Erich Hoeber, and Dean Georgaris, based on Steve Alten's 1999 novel The Trench. It stars Jason Statham, Wu Jing, Sophia Cai, Page Kennedy, Sergio Peris-Mencheta, Skyler Samuels, and Cliff Curtis.

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5. Haunted Mansion

Film Review – Haunted Mansion — (Photo: Disney / AP)

Week Two
Weekend: $9 million
Total: $42 million

A woman and her son enlist a motley crew of so-called spiritual experts to help rid their home of supernatural squatters.

Justin Simien directed Haunted Mansion from a screenplay by Katie Dippold, inspired by Disney's The Haunted Mansion theme park ride. It stars LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish, Owen Wilson, Danny DeVito, Rosario Dawson, Dan Levy, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Jared Leto.

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6. Sound of Freedom

Week Five
Weekend: $7.8 million
Total: $164.2 million

After rescuing a boy from ruthless child traffickers, a federal agent learns the boy's sister is still captive and decides to embark on a dangerous mission to save her. With time running out, he quits his job and journeys deep into the Colombian jungle, putting his life on the line to free her from a fate worse than death.

Alejandro Monteverde directed Sound of Freedom and co-wrote the film's script with Rod Barr. It stars Jim Caviezel, Mira Sorvino, Bill Camp, and Eduardo Verastegui.

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7. Mission: Impossible -- Dead Reckoning, Part One

Week Four
Weekend: $6.6 million
Total: $151.2 million

Tom Cruise is back as Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, which premiered in theaters on July 12th. It's the beginning of the end for the action-packed franchise, as Cruise reteams with longtime collaborator and filmmaker Christopher McQuarrie for more death-defying and breathtaking stunts. Hunt and allies Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson), Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames), and Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg) attempt to track down a new weapon with the power to tear the world apart. Actors Hayley Atwell, Pom Klementieff, and Esai Morales join the cast for the latest installment in the Mission: Impossible franchise, which is set to wrap up with Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two.

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8. Talk to Me

Week Two
Weekend: $6 million
Total: $21.8 million

When a group of friends discovers how to conjure spirits by using an embalmed hand, they become hooked on the new thrill -- until one of them unleashes terrifying supernatural forces.

Danny and Michael Philippou directed Talk to Me from a screenplay Danny Philippou co-wrote with Bill Hinzman, based on a concept from Daley Pearson. It stars Sophie Wilde, Alexandra Jensen, Joe Bird, Otis Dhanji, and Miranda Otto.

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9. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

Week Six
Weekend: $1.7 million
Total: $170.8 million

The iconic Harrison Ford returns for one last adventure when Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny premiered in theaters on June 30th. Lucasfilm's latest film in the long-running franchise sees Dr. Jones team up with his goddaughter Helena Shaw (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) in a race against nefarious forces to secure a powerful artifact. The duo will go up against the mysterious former Nazi-turned-NASA scientist Jürgen Voller (Mads Mikkelsen), and the film also features stars Boyd Holbrook, Antonio Banderas, Toby Jones, and John Rhys Davies. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is directed by James Mangold and is set to be Ford's final appearance as the iconic archeologist.

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10.Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani

Week Two
Weekend: $1.64 million
Total: $4.8 million

Flamboyant Punjabi Rocky and intellectual Bengali journalist Rani fall in love despite their differences. After facing family opposition, they decide to live with each other's families for three months before getting married.

Karan Johar directed Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani from a screenplay written by Ishita Moitra, Shashank Khaitan, and Sumit Roy. It stars Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, Dharmendra, Jaya Bachchan, Shabana Azmi, Tota Roy Chowdhury, Churni Ganguly, Aamir Bashir, and Kshitee Jog.

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