'Gran Turismo' Triumphs Over 'Barbie' with $17.3M Opening at the Box Office

Sony's late-summer cinematic entry, "Gran Turismo," emerged victorious in the weekend box office competition with a $17.3 million opening in the domestic market. Although a relatively restrained start for a movie adapted from a popular video game, the film's prospects are buoyed by an impressive A CinemaScore from audiences, which could potentially provide a surge in the coming days.

Under the direction of Neill Blomkamp, this racing-themed picture was initially scheduled to launch nationwide on August 11. However, due to the actors' strike and the ensuing restrictions on press engagements for the cast, including stars like Orlando Bloom and David Harbour, the release strategy was altered. Instead of a direct release, the studio opted for two weekends of sneak previews and a handful of fan screenings to generate anticipation before the official release on August 25.

The initial weekend figures encompass a substantial $3.9 million from the previous sneak previews. While not an unprecedented practice for Hollywood studios to incorporate such numbers into the opening weekend calculations, the early screenings for "Gran Turismo" demonstrated more robust results than usual.

To put it another way: If not for the Gran Turismo sneak previews, Warner Bros. and Greta Gerwig's blockbuster hit "Barbie," which has now amassed an estimated $594.9 million domestically, would have easily secured the top spot for the weekend. Initial estimates on Saturday indicated that "Barbie" had earned $15.7 million from 3,736 locations during its sixth weekend, but Warner Bros. revised this figure to $17.1 million by Sunday morning. (The creators of "Barbie" were notably displeased with the situation caused by "Gran Turismo.")

The definitive ranking will be determined by the final figures on Monday. Box office experts caution that figures for all films could shift due to the impact of Sunday's National Cinema Day, where tickets are priced at $4 for any film format at numerous theaters nationwide. "It will be an unpredictable day at the cinemas," remarked a distribution head from a Hollywood studio. (As of early Sunday, data from analytics firm EntTelligence indicated that "Barbie" was leading in terms of ticket sales.)

Internationally, "Gran Turismo" added $36.5 million to its foreign earnings across 61 markets, culminating in a global total of $53.8 million. Meanwhile, "Barbie" accrued an additional $18.2 million from 75 markets, contributing to a foreign total of $745.5 million and an impressive global sum of $1.34 billion.

In North America, DC's "Blue Beetle" secured third place with an estimated $12.8 million from 3,871 locations during its second week in theaters, bringing its domestic total to $46.3 million. If these estimates hold, it represents a relatively modest decline of 49%. On the international front, the superhero film garnered an additional $10 million from 70 markets, leading to a foreign cumulative of $35.5 million and a somewhat disappointing global total of $81.8 million.

Seizing the fourth spot is Universal's summer sensation "Oppenheimer," earning an estimated $9 million from 2,872 cinemas and reaching a domestic total of $300 million. This marks yet another milestone, as "Oppenheimer" has overtaken Christopher Nolan's "Inception" to become the third highest-grossing film at the domestic box office among Nolan's works, trailing only "The Dark Knight" and "The Dark Knight Rises," without adjusting for inflation.

"Oppenheimer" continues to thrive overseas, amassing an additional $29.1 million, leading to a foreign total of $477.1 million. This surpasses "The Dark Knight's" $471 million, resulting in a global tally of $777.1 million.

In addition to "Gran Turismo," various independent titles made their mark on the U.S. box office as the summer season heads toward its conclusion. The industry's aspiration is for domestic revenue to reach the $4 billion benchmark, signaling a return to pre-pandemic levels.

Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions' action-packed "Retribution," the latest starring Liam Neeson, secured the eighth position with an estimated $3.3 million from 1,750 theaters, aligning with already adjusted expectations. The film may recoup ground through premium video-on-demand (VOD), even though it received a less favorable C CinemaScore from audiences.

"Briarcliff/Open Road" introduced "The Hill," an inspiring sports drama starring Dennis Quaid, in 1,570 locations, raking in an estimated $2.5 million.

"Bleecker Street's" specialized film "Golda," featuring Helen Mirren as former Israeli prime minister Golda Meir, is poised to generate $2 million, despite a significantly smaller theater count than "The Hill" with only 883 locations.

At the specialty box office, MGM and Amazon's critically acclaimed "Bottoms," a teen sex comedy directed by Emma Seligman, commenced impressively with its release in 10 locations. The film's weekend location average of $51,600 stands as the highest average for a film debuting in 10 locations since before the pandemic.

Additionally, several notable re-releases adorned the marquees in conjunction with National Cinema Day, including "Jurassic Park" and "American Graffiti." "Jurassic Park" amassed an estimated $1.7 million.

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