Movie theaters broke ticket sale records in July. Is 'Barbenheimer' the reason?

WASHINGTON — July was a massive month for movies, with blockbuster after blockbuster releasing in theaters. And movie theaters raked in the cash, with both Cinemark and AMC reporting record-breaking domestic box office numbers. 

Cinemark announced Tuesday that it had its highest box office month ever, citing the releases of "Barbie," "Oppenheimer," the first part of the 'Mission Impossible – Dead Reckoning"  duology and  "Sound of Freedom" as huge drivers of in-person viewings. 

“This month’s record-setting result validates consumer enthusiasm for experiencing films in an immersive, larger-than-life, cinematic environment is as strong as ever,” Cinemark President and CEO Sean Gamble said in a statement.

Cinemark has more than 500 theaters across the U.S. and Latin America. 

AMC Theaters, the nation's largest theater chain, said Monday that it saw its "best week ever" in the company's 103-year history over the last week of July. 

That week, from July 21 to July 27, saw the release of two of the most-anticipated films of the summer on the same day: "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer." 

AMC said the week before that had been its busiest since the COVID-19 pandemic, when closures tanked in-person viewing numbers. 

It's not uncommon for major blockbuster films to release in July, with studios trying to capitalize on both students being on summer break and families taking vacations. But July's box office results were especially high.

Warner Bros.’ “Barbie” claimed the top spot on its opening weekend with a massive $155 million in ticket sales from North American theaters from 4,243 locations, surpassing “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” (as well as every Marvel movie this year) as the biggest opening of the year and breaking the first weekend record for a film directed by a woman. Universal’s “Oppenheimer" also soared past expectations, taking in $80.5 million from 3,610 theaters in the U.S. and Canada, marking Nolan’s biggest non-Batman debut and one of the best-ever starts for an R-rated biographical drama.

One of the major draws to theaters was the cultural phenomenon known as "Barbenheimer." Moviegoers took to social media ahead of the double premiere on July 21 to discuss watching a double-feature of the two movies. 

It’s not uncommon for studios to counterprogram films in different genres on a big weekend, but the stark differences between an intense, serious-minded picture about the man who oversaw the development of the atomic bomb and a lighthearted, candy-colored anthropomorphizing of a childhood doll quickly became the stuff of viral fodder.

“'Barbenheimer' is a marketing gift borne out of social media and I think it’s benefiting both films,” said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for analytics firm Comscore. “You’re certainly aware of both movies in a more profound and compelling way than I think might have otherwise happened had they been released on different weekends.”

AMC even offered double-feature tickets to capitalize on the internet's obsession with the pairing, selling more than 20,000 seats. Watching both movies is a full-day event, with 294 minutes of screen time between the two films.

For the record, For the record, the general consensus online is that the correct viewing order is the three-hour "Oppenheimer," stepping out to get lunch or dinner, then ending on a lighter note with "Barbie." 

The Associated Press contributed to this story.