‘Barbenheimer’ nets combined $235 million during opening weekend 

A pair of highly-anticipated summer films enjoyed blockbuster success at the box office over the weekend.

“Barbie” and “Oppenheimer,” both of which have earned critical acclaim and become viral sensations online, have earned a combined $235 million in ticket sales since Friday, according to recent Comscore data.

“Barbie” raked in a reported $155 million during its first three days in theaters, while “Oppenheimer” earned $80 million in ticket sales during the same period.

Filmmaker Greta Gerwig’s comedy “Barbie” uses a fictional depiction of the life and personality of the widely popular children’s doll to provide commentary on patriarchy, gender roles and American politics.

“Oppenheimer,” directed by Hollywood titan Christopher Nolan, goes behind the scenes of the Manhattan Project of the 1940s and follows the story of the atomic bombs the United States dropped on Japan at the end of World War II.

Both films, which had been marketed together using the nickname “Barbenheimer,” come amid a time of turmoil for movie-makers and theaters, many still struggling to recover from economic hardship caused by the coronavirus pandemic.