Barbie and Oppenheimer get strong advance bookings in India

Mumbai: Advance bookings for the highly anticipated Hollywood films Barbie and Oppenheimer have started in India, and the response has been remarkable.

Margot Robbie-led Barbie has already sold around 17,000 tickets in the top three national chains for its opening day on July 21, 2023. The numbers, although lower than its box office rival Oppenheimer, establish Barbie's dominance on a global scale. Oppenheimer has sold an impressive 2 lakh tickets in the top two national chains, PVR and Inox, for its opening weekend in India.

The advance bookings for Barbie have taken off to an encouraging start, with tickets being sold nearly four days prior to its release. Among the top national chains, PVR has contributed around 13,000 tickets, while Inox and Cinepolis have each managed around 2,000 tickets. These figures suggest an opening collection of over Rs 4 crores nett in India, defying expectations amidst Oppenheimer's strong presence.

On a global level, Barbie has emerged as the favored movie choice for the upcoming weekend and is poised to become the second biggest global opener of the year, second only to The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Barbie, directed by Greta Gerwig and starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, takes audiences on a delightful journey into the vibrant world of Barbie Land. The philosophical film explores the joys and challenges that Barbie and Ken encounter when they venture into the real world.

The film will be available in theaters nationwide starting from July 21, 2023.

Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer, featuring Cillian Murphy, Robert Downey Jr, Matt Damon, and Emily Blunt, has also witnessed a tremendous response in advance bookings in India. The demand for premium versions of the film is exceptionally high, with even weekday shows being sold out. Despite aggressive dynamic pricing and an 'A' film certification, Oppenheimer's tickets are being swiftly grabbed by enthusiastic moviegoers. Christopher Nolan's influence and loyal fanbase is speculated to be the main reason.

Over 80,000 tickets are allocated for the opening day alone. PVR leads the numbers with over 50,000 tickets, closely followed by Inox with 30,000 tickets. The advance ticket sales for the weekend have already surpassed any Hollywood film's performance in India this year.

Oppenheimer is expected to open with collections of around Rs 10 crores on its first day and is set to be the preferred film choice in India this weekend, ranking second globally behind Barbie, which is exceeding industry projections. Early projections estimate an opening weekend collection of over Rs 30 crores net for Oppenheimer.

Oppenheimer delves into the life and persona of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the renowned American theoretical physicist known for his contribution to the development of the atomic bomb.

People can watch Oppenheimer in theaters near them starting from July 21, 2023.