“Barbie” (Warner Bros.) grossed $155 million domestic and $182 million foreign.
“Oppenheimer” (Universal) grossed $80.5 million domestic and $93.7 million foreign.
Two non-franchise films, released on the same weekend, from two proven directors allowed their voices loud and clear despite $100 million+ budgets.
That’s mega.We all know that prefix — it’s Greek for “millions” — but the rise of atomic bomb testing in the 1950s introduced “mega” into daily use.
It referred to the power of TNT expressed as megatons, or a million tons of TNT.
It also implied massive impact or damage — and that’s acutely true here.“Oppenheimer” and “Barbie” have damaged the studio truisms that surround moviemaking.
The franchises, the familiar execution, the drive to develop IP that can be replicated — all those reliable touchstones that Wall Street loves — suddenly, those models look a little albatross-y.
Audiences are less interested in commodities, no matter how expensive and bombastic.Studios have a…
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