Blue Beetle to Top Opening Weekend at the Box Office

Blue Beetle opens lower than expected but strong enough for a win.

By Jamie Lovett - August 19, 2023 02:08 pm EDT

Blue Beetle, the newest DC movie from Warner Bros., will open at the top of the box office this weekend. Blue Beetle will take in $25 million in its first three days, with $10 million earned on Friday alone (including $3.3 million from Thursday preview night showings). That's lower than projected but still decent for the film, which is working from a relatively low budget, and enough to take the top spot at the box office. Blue Beetle is doing well with critics, earning the "certified fresh" badge from review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. ComicBook.com's Kofi Outlaw reviewed the film and awarded it 3.5-out-of-5 stars for its fun but familiar approach to superhero origins.

"If DC fans are hoping for a solid, uncomplicated (no continuity knots), and most of all fun DC superhero movie that even teens and kids can enjoy – Blue Beetle may very well be the first DC film in a decade that can deliver on all those fronts," Outlaw writes. "That is an achievement in its own right."

Barbie, the box office sensation of the summer, continues to be a presence on the box office charts. In its fifth weekend, the Margot Robbie-led film added $20.5 million to its record-breaking box office total.

The second half of the Barbenheimer equation, Christopher Nolan's R-Rated biopic Oppenheimer, also remains strong. The film will bring in $11 million in its fifth weekend.

Newcomer Strays is having a less eventful opening weekend. The film will open on the lower end of projections with $8.5 million. Critics haven't been kind to the film, with ComicBook.com's Patrick Cavanaugh awarding it only a 1 out of 5 possible stars.

"Audiences, critics, and filmmakers alike have voiced their frustrations about how the only movies to earn major theatrical releases are blockbuster franchises and how it leaves no room for smaller-budgeted comedies, and Strays only serves as a reminder of just how mindless and abjectly unfunny these studio-backed, mainstream comedies typically are," Cavanaugh writes. "Now that Strays is being unleashed, it's easy to see how it could have been shot in 2021 and taken two years to be released, even after recent delays pushed its opening deeper into summer. Much like how time passes for dogs, the arduous Strays makes its 90-minute run time feel seven times longer than it really is. If nothing else, we hope the movie's ultimate release on home video will allow you to watch the dogs be cute while muting the actual dialogue, though even then, watching 90 minutes of funny dog videos on YouTube might be a more fulfilling way to spend your time."

Blue Beetle, Barbie, Oppenheimer, and Strays are playing in theaters now. The list of the top 10 films at the box office this weekend follows.

1. Blue Beetle

Opening Weekend
Total: $25 million

From Warner Bros. Pictures comes Blue Beetle, which arrives in theaters on August 18th, marking the DC superhero's first time on the big screen. The film, directed by Angel Manuel Soto, stars Xolo Maridueña in the title role as well as his alter ego, Jaime Reyes. Recent college grad Jaime Reyes returns home full of aspirations for his future, only to find that home is not quite as he left it. As he searches to find his purpose in the world, fate intervenes when Jaime unexpectedly finds himself in possession of an ancient relic of alien biotechnology: the Scarab. When the Scarab suddenly chooses Jaime to be its symbiotic host, he is bestowed with an incredible suit of armor capable of extraordinary and unpredictable powers, forever changing his destiny as he becomes the Super Hero BLUE BEETLE.

Starring alongside Maridueña are Adriana Barraza, Damían Alcázar, Elpidia Carrillo, Bruna Marquezine, Raoul Max Trujillo, with Oscar winner Susan Sarandon, and George Lopez (the "Rio and "Smurf" franchises). The film also stars Belissa Escobedo and Harvey Guillén. Soto directs from a screenplay by Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer, based on characters from DC. John Rickard and Zev Foreman are producing, with Walter Hamada, Galen Vaisman and Garrett Grant serving as executive producers.

2. Barbie

Week Five
Weekend: $20.5 million
Total: $566.3 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.

3. Oppenheimer

Week Five
Weekend: $11 million
Total: $285.6 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.

4. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem

Week Three
Weekend: $8.75 million
Total: $88.4 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.

5.Strays

Opening Weekend
Total: $8.5 million

Abandoned on the mean city streets by his lowlife owner, Doug, a naive but lovable dog named Reggie falls in with a fast-talking, foul-mouthed Boston Terrier and his gang of strays. Determined to seek revenge, Reggie and his new canine pals embark on an epic adventure to get him home and make Doug pay for his dirty deed.

Josh Greenbaum directed Strays from a screenplay by Dan Perrault. It stars Will Ferrell, Jamie Foxx, Will Forte, Isla Fisher, Randall Park, Harvey Guillén, Rob Riggle, Brett Gelman, Jamie Demetriou and Sofía Vergara.

6. The Meg 2: The Trench

Week Three
Weekend: $6.4 million
Total: $66.3 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.

7. Talk to Me

talk-to-me-horror-movie-best-in-years-peter-jackson.jpg — (Photo: A24 Films)

Week Four
Weekend: $3.1 million
Total: $37.3 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.

8. Haunted Mansion

Film Review – Haunted Mansion — (Photo:
This image released by Disney Enterprises shows, from left, Owen Wilson, Rosario Dawson, LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish and Danny DeVito in a scene from "Haunted Mansion." (Disney Enterprises via AP)
- Disney / AP)

Week Four
Weekend: $3.1 million
Total: $58.7 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.

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

Week Six
Weekend: $2.87 million
Total: $164.77 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.

10. Sound of Freedom

Week Eight
Weekend: $2.6 million
Total: $177.3 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.