Barbenheimer - Ten Great Box Office Showdowns
Monday, July 24, 2023 at 9:52AM by Christopher James
This is the summer of "Barbenheimer". What started as a rivalry has morphed into a marketable double feature. In a way, they’ve hyped each other up, making this past weekend (July 21st-July 23rd) the most exciting and anticipated movie weekend of the summer. Both movies exist at opposite poles of the gendered film divide to a comical degree - the hot pink colored Barbie against king of the film-bros Christopher Nolan and his three hour 70mm extravaganza, Oppenheimer. The ultimate winner is the audience, who get two big-budget auteur-driven swings in one weekend. (Barbie won but both movies had huge opening weekends which will talk about tonight when the actuals come in)
This isn’t the only time counterprogramming has pitted a “boy movie” and “girl movie” against each other for a star-studded showdown. Here are our top 10 box office showdowns that served as fabulous precursors for Barbenheimer...
July 20, 2001 - Jurassic Park III vs America’s Sweethearts
Opening Weekend: Jurassic Park III ($50,771,645) > America’s Sweethearts ($30,181,877)
Total Box Office: Jurassic Park III ($181,171,875) > America’s Sweethearts ($93,607,673)
Oscars: None for Either
Cultural Cache: Jurassic Park III > America’s Sweethearts
Maybe this choice wasn’t hard for everyone, but at this point I was at the age where my friends and I were finally able to see PG-13 movies in theaters. All of them wanted to see Jurassic Park III and all I had been looking forward to as a die-hard Julia Roberts fan was America’s Sweethearts. Neither of these have much of a cultural footprint anymore. At least some might still be watching Jurassic Park III for franchise completism. Yet, this is a fantastically retro example of an A-list franchise facing off against an A-list star.
June 29, 2012 - Magic Mike vs Ted
Opening Weekend: Ted ($54,415,205) > Magic Mike ($39,127,170)
Total Box Office: Ted ($218,815,487) > Magic Mike ($113,721,571)
Oscars: Ted (1 nomination) > Magic Mike (0 nominations)
Cultural Cache: Magic Mike > Ted
The summer of 2012 pitted strippers against teddy bears - yet both were decidedly rated R. The bro humor of Seth MacFarlane prevailed at the time. Yet, Magic Mike got the last laugh, spawning two ambitious sequels and a hit Vegas show. Meanwhile, Ted only had one sequel which landed with a soft thud.
July 20, 2007 - I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry vs Hairspray
Opening Weekend: I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry ($34,233,750) > Hairspray ($27,800,000)
Total Box Office: I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry ($120,059,556) > Hairspray ($118,871,849)
Oscars: None for Either
Cultural Cache: Hairspray > I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry
The LGBTQ+ community was at the center of this 2007 summer showdown. Reliable box office star Adam Sandler headlined a comedy where he pretends to be gay with his best friend (Kevin James) to receive domestic partnership benefits. The real gays were better served by Hairspray, the movie adaptation of the Broadway musical, which itself was adapted from a John Waters film. Sandler beat Travolta in drag on opening weekend (in fact, Hairspray opened in third place behind Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix), but Hairspray was neck and neck with it until the end of the summer with great box office legs. In fact, when worldwide grosses are taken into account Hairspray earned $200 million compared to Chuck & Larry’s $180 million.
May 28, 2010 - Sex and the City 2 vs Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
Opening Weekend: Sex and the City 2 ($31,001,870) > Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time ($30,095,259)
Total Box Office: Sex and the City 2 ($95,347,692) > Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time ($90,759,676)
Oscars: None for Either
Cultural Cache: Sex and the City 2 > I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry
Carrie Bradshaw was up against a new enemy in 2010 - a video game character. After the success of the first film, Sex and the City 2 promised more costumes and more laughs, but instead delivered a much maligned story of white women reluctantly stuck in Abu Dhabi. Even at the time, the film came off as incredibly insensitive and was thoroughly mocked and critiqued. Also set in the desert and critiqued for representation reasons, Prince of Persia was hoping to start a franchise for Disney and take Jake Gyllenhaal’s career to the next level. In short, it didn’t work and another franchise entry was never picked up. Less than one million dollars divided the two films, but it was a race for #2, not #1. Neither of these films were a match for the second weekend of Shrek Forever After, arguably the most forgotten entry of the Shrek franchise. It’s a fitting way of remembering this faceoff, where audiences were meant to choose between two horribly reviewed dumpster fires and chose neither. At least, with And Just Like That, Sex and the City 2 might not be the most embarrassing moment in the series.
August 8, 2003 - S.W.A.T. vs Freaky Friday
Opening Weekend: S.W.A.T. ($37,062,535) > Freaky Friday ($22,203,007)
Total Box Office: S.W.A.T. ($116,934,650) > Freaky Friday ($110,230,332)
Oscars: None for Either
Cultural Cache: Freaky Friday > S.W.A.T.
The ‘70s came back for a weekend in August 2003. Based on the 1975 TV show, S.W.A.T. boasted a star studded cast. It wasn’t meant to be a showdown, but the Jamie Lee Curtis-Lindsay Lohan remake of the 70s film Freaky Friday surprised with a strong opening weekend and even stronger staying power. Freaky Friday hung around until August becoming a word of mouth hit. In the end, it couldn’t overtake S.W.A.T. in total gross, but it came incredibly close and is now a classic. I mean, are any members of the S.W.A.T. cast still posting about it on Instagram (like Jamie Lee Curtis is posting about Lindsay Lohan’s baby)?
October 3, 2014 - Gone Girl vs Annabelle
Opening Weekend: Gone Girl ($37,513,109) > Annabelle ($37,134,255)
Total Box Office: Gone Girl ($167,767,189) > Annabelle ($84,273,813)
Oscars: Gone Girl (1 nomination) > Annabelle (0 nominations)
Cultural Cache: Gone Girl > Annabelle
It was a battle of teens versus adults with two very different types of scary movies. The Conjuring spinoff Annabelle focused on a scary, murderous doll. Meanwhile, David Fincher adapted the popular mystery book Gone Girl into a well-reviewed, awards bait thriller. Gone Girl ruled the fall box office after an incredibly narrow opening weekend rivalry (less than $400,000 separated the two films). By the end of their respective runs, Gone Girl had nearly doubled Annabelle’s domestic gross. Unfortunately, it did not achieve the Oscar glory many had wished for the film, only earning an Actress nomination for Rosamund Pike.
July 21, 2017 - Dunkirk vs Girls Trip
Opening Weekend: Dunkirk ($50,513,488) > Girls Trip ($31,201,920)
Total Box Office: Dunkirk ($189,740,665) > Girls Trip ($115,171,585)
Oscars: Dunkirk (3 Wins, 8 Nominations) > Girls Trip (0 Nominations)
Cultural Cache: Girls Trip > Dunkirk
Studios seem to always open a female focused film against a Christopher Nolan movie. Against Dunkirk, a challenger emerged with Girls Trip. The movie came closer to matching Nolan on opening weekend, thanks to fantastic reviews. Both films are pretty close on the cultural cache conversation. Dunkirk has plenty of fans among die-hard Nolan fans and war film enthusiasts alike. Meanwhile, Girls Trip has become a comedy classic. It was the breakout film for Tiffany Haddish (robbed of an Oscar nomination), who can now be seen on The Afterparty and has been fairly ubiquitous since 2017.
June 30, 2006 - Superman Returns vs The Devil Wears Prada
Opening Weekend: Superman Returns ($52,535,096) > The Devil Wears Prada ($27,537,244)
Total Box Office: Superman Returns ($200,081,192) > The Devil Wears Prada ($124,740,460)
Oscars: The Devil Wears Prada (2 Nominations) > Superman Returns (1 Nomination)
Cultural Cache: The Devil Wears Prada > Superman Returns
Some of the great box office rivalries are unintentional. Leading up to release, the relaunch of Superman was thought to potentially pull Spider-Man box office numbers. Opening the female-focused book adaptation of The Devil Wears Prada against the man of steel was thought to be a folly. However, the movie was plagued with poor reactions, while The Devil Wears Prada ran an incredible marketing campaign and got fantastic reviews. As Oscar buzz grew for Meryl Streep, people just kept going to the film throughout the summer. Superman Returns barely inched past $200 million (far below what the Spider-Man films had done in the prior years). Meanwhile, word of mouth continued for months for The Devil Wears Prada and it nearly quintupled its opening weekend, almost reaching $125 million by the end of its domestic run.
October 5, 2018 - Venom vs A Star is Born
Opening Weekend: Venom ($80,255,756) > A Star is Born ($42,908,051)
Total Box Office: A Star is Born ($215,333,122) > Venom ($213,515,506)
Oscars: A Star is Born (1 Win, 8 Nominations) > Venom (0 Nominations)
Cultural Cache: A Star is Born > Venom
Knock knock, let Ally Maine in. Both Venom and A Star is Born overperformed in their opening weekend, leading to a box office showdown that lasted throughout the fall of 2018. Even though Venom was thought of as a punchline leading up to its release, it wasn’t on the cards that Bradley Cooper’s directorial debut A Star is Born would end up beating it at the box office. The combination of Cooper and Lady Gaga, plus Oscar buzz, allowed for the film to have the staying power to cross $215 million and beat Venom. The enduring power of A Star is Born once again proves the strength of the century old story.
July 18, 2008 - The Dark Knight vs Mamma Mia!
Opening Weekend: The Dark Knight ($158,411,483) > Mamma Mia! ($27,751,240)
Total Box Office: The Dark Knight ($534,987,076) > Mamma Mia! ($144,169,664)
Oscars: The Dark Knight (2 Wins, 8 Nominations) > Mamma Mia! (0 Nominations)
Cultural Cache: Depends on who you ask
As the Barbenheimer race became popularized, everyone on the internet remarked on this weekend when Nolan faced off against a female-directed juggernaut. Despite being based off a blockbuster musical, Mamma Mia! was never intended to be a true challenger to Batman’s box office crown. The perfect storm of stellar reviews, Heath Ledger’s death and superhero mania made The Dark Knight a landmark hit in all areas - commercially, critically and awards-wise. A less-than-stellar final chapter to Nolan’s Batman trilogy, plus superhero fatigue, has since taken some of the prestige wind out of The Dark Knight’s sails. Conversely, Mamma Mia! was a bonafide worldwide phenomenon and cultivated a powerful, multi-generational fan base. Ten years later, its sequel built on the legacy of the first film and won even better reviews. The guilty pleasure's sequel is now a respected piece of pop filmmaking. The gender divide of cultural cache between the two movies still burns bright today.
Honorable Mentions:
-
Lord of the Rings and a trio of challengers in three consecutive years - Mona Lisa Smile (2003), Two Weeks Notice (2002) and Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius (2001)
-
July 4, 2003 - Terminator: Rise of the Machines vs Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde
-
June 6, 2014 - The Fault in Our Stars vs Edge of Tomorrow
-
May 15, 2015 - Pitch Perfect 3 vs Mad Max Fury Road
-
July 29, 2016 - Jason Bourne vs Bad Moms
-
December 15, 2000 - What Women Want vs Dude Where’s my Car
-
December 13, 2002 - Maid in Manhattan vs Star Trek: Nemesis (vs Drumline vs The Hot Chick)
What are some of your other favorite box office showdowns?
Reader Comments (11)
Saw Oppenheimer, liked it a lot. The third act seemed to drag a bit after the buildup of the first two-thirds, but would like to revisit. But a stellar accomplishment with so much to think about. My thoughts on the Oscar race:
Pic, Director, Screenplay, tech noms in the bag.
Actor: Cillian Murphy is the quintessential "100% will be nominated, 0% chance to win" performance in a movie like this with a mostly internal, but standout, leading turn.
Supp Actor: Don't see how Robert Downey Jr is anything but the frontrunner for the win right now. A masterful, complicated turn.
Supp Actress: Emily Blunt likely makes the shortlist, I think, in the vein of "actors we've never nominated before with a varied and interesting filmography.. but in a much-less-interesting weepy wife/mother role" (see also: Maggie Gyllenhaal, Patricia Clarkson).
I saw both JP3 and AS Julia was huge box office back then and so was Sandler in anything.
@Paranoid Android-
Agree 1000% with Robert Downey Jr being the frontrunner for the win... We still have a half year to go but thinking it would be extremely hard for anyone to top that performance!
Wondering what shot BARBIE has at nominations?
Thinking Production Design and Costume Design for sure. Really hoping for a Ryan Gosling nomination he walked such a fine line between satire, camp and comedy brilliantly!
this post brought back so many memories. People need CHOICES. And Hollywood needs more than one "attraction" a week if they want people at the movies.
I remember a lot of these being more complementary than showdowns. For example, Mama Mia and Devil were both alternatives to the Dark Knight and Superman Returns. And, as someone who was there for opening day for ASIB, I don't even remember Venom being a thing. I think the box office works best like this - when their are buzzy films for audiences to enjoy.
I think this weekend is especially exciting because neither of the films were superhero/transformer films.
I'm going to see Oppenheimer next weekend as I just need a break as I'm still in awe in what I saw in Barbie!
GIRLS' TRIP may have a larger cultural influence than DUNKIRK only in the USA. Certainly in Australia, I have had many conversations about the Nolan film, but hardly anyone is aware of the existence of GT.
The one that made me go "really?" was "depends who you ask" re: Mamma Mia v The Dark Knight. TDK hands down. Maybe if you ask a gaggle of gays they'd say Mamma Mia, but even then... TDK is easily my favorite Nolan (maybe the only Nolan movie I've really enjoyed? lol) and I've never had a desire to watch Mamma Mia (shame on me?).
But for the audience of this site this answer does make sense lol. Actressexual central. 🤪
@philip H —- I hear you. I saw The Dark Knight in IMAX 70mm 10 times on its first run…
But after watching the films Mamma Mia (the first one and the bonker balls sequel) countless times during the pandemic, I dare say I prefer Mamma Mia even if The Dark Knight is the better “film.”
@thevoid99 - Those were my feelings exactly! I saw Barbie on Friday and was planning on Oppenheimer Sunday, but I opted for Barbie a second time. I definitely want to see Oppenheimer, though - I just need a week to sit with the wonderful Barbie.
I think both films will do really well this upcoming weekend, with minimal drops.
Hi there! I need some advice on the best online stores to buy a Television in the UAE. Which ones have the best prices and reliable delivery options?