‘Barbenheimer’ set to deliver blockbuster weekend at the box office

With a combination of blowups and blowouts that is providing the theatrical movie business a shot in the arm, “Barbenheimer” has arrived.

Early ticket sales and box-office tracking predict the dual release of Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” and Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” could help deliver the strongest US box office weekend of the year.

Pre-sales for the Margot Robbie-starring comedy "Barbie," about the statuesque dolls and their search for purpose, outpaced all other films this year at the same point in the sales cycle, according to Boxoffice Co.

Additionally, “Barbie” posted a much higher rate of tickets per transaction compared with typical movies, which meant more people were watching the movie in large groups.

Still recovering from the pandemic, the movie industry has been praying for a shot of adrenaline, with some highly anticipated movies still struggling to draw crowds to theaters. The phenomenon of a big blockbuster weekend, until recently, seemed like a thing of the past, unachievable in an age of binge watching from the comfort of our homes.

The excitement from moviegoers for the World War II drama "Oppenheimer," from Universal Pictures, and "Barbie" is a breath of fresh air for theater owners and studios, who are still adjusting to the effects of two Hollywood strikes that could last for months and are already causing significant production delays.

According to Comscore, domestic box office sales have reached $5.1 billion so far this year, up 12% from the same period last year but down 22% from the same period in 2019, prior to the pandemic.