‘Blue Beetle’ Ends ‘Barbie’s 4-Weekend Reign as No. 1 at Box Office

Barbie‘s No. 1 stint at the box office has come to a close — for now.

Blue Beetle became the new No. 1 movie in theaters at the domestic box office, earning a total of $25.4 million as Barbie added another $21.5 million to its total — the Greta Gerwig-directed movie has now amassed a huge $567.3 million in domestic box office takings — according to both Variety and The Hollywood Reporter. Oppenheimer came in third with takings of $10.6 million.

This weekend marks the first since its July 21 release that Barbie has not come out on top, having continued to beat several major releases like Haunted Mansion and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.

Directed by Ángel Manuel Soto, Blue Beetle is a superhero origin story based on the DC Comics character of the same name, played in the film by Xolo Maridueña.

When a powerful, parasitic device latches onto recent college graduate Jaime Reyes, claiming him as its human host, he gains superpowers. Then, billionaire businesswoman Victoria Kord (Susan Sarandon) hunts him down to weaponize the alien tech.

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“Blue Beetle”.

Hopper Stone/SMPSP/DC Comics

‘Blue Beetle’: Get to Know the Close-Knit Family in the DC Superhero Film (Exclusive)

Maridueña, 22, was originally cast in the Blue Beetle role in 2021; he makes for DC Studios’ first-ever Latino superhero.

With Latinx audiences seeing an authentically represented family in the comic-book-movie genre for the first time, Maridueña recently told PEOPLE he “can start to practice all of these lessons” his own family taught him.

“And it’s not lost on me that that is a rarity, especially when it comes to the arts,” he added.

The actor also said he hopes movies like “Blue Beetle, Across the Spider-Verse, Joy Ride” and more will “hopefully instill confidence” in young audiences not used to seeing themselves onscreen.

“[Representation] really goes a long way, and I’m so excited finally for Blue Beetle to come out to just fill in another piece of the puzzle,” Maridueña said.

“Barbie”.
Warner Bros. Pictures

Randall Park Says ‘Barbie’ Success Should Mean ‘More Movies By and About Women’ — Not Toys

Meanwhile, Barbie‘s reign at the box office started with a bang upon its July 21 release, when it faced off against Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer and went on to become Warner Bros. Pictures’ highest-grossing domestic release of all time, beating Nolan’s 2008 film The Dark Knight. It has so far made over $1 billion worldwide.

As a result of Barbie‘s financial success, Greta Gerwig became the highest-grossing female director of a live-action movie at the global box office, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The film’s sales topped those of 2019’s Captain Marvel, which was co-directed by Anna Boden.

Barbie‘s success has led Mattel, the toy company that owns the Barbie brand, to plan to adapt 14 additional Mattel properties — including a Polly Pocket movie, directed by Lena Dunham and starring Lily Collins — for the big screen.

Barbie and Blue Beetle are both in theaters now.

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education