“Barbie” and “Gran Turismo” Battle for Box Office Supremacy
In a fierce showdown at the box office, both “Barbie” and “Gran Turismo” are claiming victory, but the battle is not just about ticket sales. It involves movie accounting and the evolving definition of an opening weekend.
Warner Bros., the studio behind “Barbie,” asserts that the film emerged as the winner for the fifth consecutive weekend, raking in $15.1 million from Friday to Sunday. However, Sony, the producer of “Gran Turismo,” argues that its movie topped the box office charts with $17.4 million.
The controversy arises from the fact that “Gran Turismo’s” opening figure includes not only the $1.4 million it earned in Thursday previews but also the $3.9 million generated from weeks of special pre-show screenings. It is common practice for studios to include Thursday preview grosses in their opening weekend results, and Warner Bros. does not dispute this. However, Sony seems to have a more liberal interpretation of what constitutes an opening weekend by incorporating weeks of other screenings.
Sony is not alone in this approach. Paramount did the same thing with “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” when it premiered in the spring, adding results from multiple preview screenings to its inaugural weekend. Even during the darkest days of the pandemic, Warner Bros. factored in eleven days of screenings into its $20 million “opening” for Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet.”
If the preview screenings were excluded, Warner Bros. claims that “Gran Turismo” would have opened in second place with $13.4 million. However, in the grand scheme of things, the outcome may not matter much. “Barbie” is one of the biggest films of this or any year, having earned a staggering $1.34 billion. On the other hand, “Gran Turismo,” with a global total of $53.8 million, still has a long way to go to turn a profit. The racing adventure had a production cost of $60 million, not to mention the millions spent on marketing.
Initially, Warner Bros. projected that “Barbie” would earn $17.1 million over the weekend, but these estimates were revised downward on Monday.
In the end, the battle for box office supremacy between “Barbie” and “Gran Turismo” highlights the complexities of movie accounting and the shifting definitions of an opening weekend. While both films claim victory, it is clear that “Barbie” has already solidified its place as a blockbuster, while “Gran Turismo” still has ground to cover to achieve financial success.
What factors should be considered when determining the true opening weekend for a film: Friday to Sunday ticket sales or including Thursday night preview screenings
Box office numbers include Thursday night preview screenings, while “Barbie’s” numbers only account for Friday to Sunday ticket sales. This difference in reporting has sparked debate over what should be considered the true opening weekend for a film.
Traditionally, a film’s opening weekend was determined by the Friday to Sunday box office receipts. However, in recent years, studios have started including Thursday night previews in their opening weekend totals. This allows them to boast bigger numbers and potentially create more hype around their film.
Warner Bros. argues that including Thursday night previews in a film’s opening weekend total is unfair, as it distorts the true performance of the movie over the weekend. They believe that Friday to Sunday numbers provide a more accurate reflection of a film’s success.
On the other hand, Sony defends their decision to include Thursday night previews, stating that it is a common practice in the industry and should be considered part of a film’s opening weekend. They argue that these preview screenings contribute to the overall box office revenue and should not be disregarded.
The debate between “Barbie” and “Gran Turismo” highlights the changing landscape of box office reporting. With the rise of streaming services and the increasing importance of opening weekend numbers, studios are exploring new ways to showcase their films’ success.
Ultimately, the battle for box office supremacy between “Barbie” and “Gran Turismo” goes beyond just ticket sales. It raises questions about how opening weekend numbers should be calculated and what should be considered the true measure of a film’s success. As the industry continues to evolve, it will be fascinating to see how box office reporting practices adapt to these changes.
