Barbie and Oppenheimer are top of the bill when it comes to the 2023 worldwide Box Office after they became a combined cultural phenomenon over summer.
The Greta Gerwig hit tops the list grossing over $1.4 billion with Oppenheimer just short of the billion mark, but a $1.3bn blockbuster separates them in second.
After the two films were released on the same day – July 21 – Barbenheimer gripped film fans who made an event out of going directly from the screening of one to the other.
Barbie’s place at the top of the list is unsurprising given the movie broke records throughout its release relating to both box office sales and soundtrack popularity.
Find the full year-to-date top 20 highest-grossing films of 2023 below, including appearances from Tom Cruise and Taylor Swift.
Record-breaker: Barbie was an instant hit and enjoyed the biggest Box Office debut of the year
Epic: Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer has become the highest-grossing World War II film ever
Barbenheimer: Watching Barbie and Oppenheimer back-to-back was a cultural phenomenon after the two movies were released on the same day – July 21
Barbie – $1.44 billion
Barbie, starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling as its leads, was an instant hit in July and enjoyed the biggest Box Office debut of the year bringing in over $300 million on its opening weekend.
Many fans were pleasantly surprised by the movies deeper meaning and messages around misogyny and its countless cinematic references and Easter eggs throughout.
Running at almost two hours, the adventure-comedy follows its title character as she and her land suffer a mysterious crisis at the hands of her owner and the Kens respectively.
It ranks 14th among the top lifetime grosses at time of writing, however, behind both of 2022’s top grossing movies – Avatar: The Way of Water, in third, and Top Gun: Maverick, in 12th.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie – $1.36 billion
Part pooper: The Super Mario Bros. Movie stopped Barbenheimer’s constituent parts being number one and two in 2023’s top-grossing films
Splitting Barbenheimer down the middle in the 2023 Box Office records is The Super Mario Bros. Movie which has grossed $1.36bn since coming out on April 5.
The film follows the classic tale of the plumbing brothers told in decades-worth of video games.
Mario and Luigi embark on a mission to save the captured Princess Peach from Bowser’s evil clutches.
Its success is helped by a star-studded cast of voices. Chris Pratt as Mario, Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach and Jack Black as Bowser are the headline names.
Oppenheimer – $951 million
Star power: Oppenheimer’s cast is packed with household names including Cillian Murphy, Florence Pugh, Matt Damon, Emily Blunt and Robert Downey Jr
Oppenheimer also brought a strong cast as the biopic of the ‘father of the atomic bomb’ grossed just over $950m.
The cast is packed with household names including Cillian Murphy, Florence Pugh, Matt Damon, Emily Blunt and Robert Downey Jr.
Despite it coming out as the worse performing half of Barbenheimer, Oppenheimer still comes in as 2023’s highest performing R-rated movie.
The Christopher Nolan epic also broke recodes in overtaking Dunkirk ($527m), Saving Private Ryan ($482m) and Pearl Harbor ($449m) to become the highest-grossing World War II film ever.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 – $846 million
End of an era? Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was Marvel’s worst-performing leading movie since 2014 after successful Avengers and Spider-Man movies
With $846m Box Office sales, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is this year’s fourth-highest-grossing film.
Despite the lofty position, this is Marvel’s worst-performing leading movie since the original Guardians of the Galaxy movie in 2014 – excluding 2020 which was heavily impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.
In the intervening nine years, the studio has achieved enormous success with its Avengers movies and a succession of Spider-Man releases.
Fast X – $705 million
The tenth film in the Fast and Furious franchise, starring Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster rounds off the top-five best performing films at the Box Office for 2023, grossing just over $700m.
Rounding off the franchise, Fast X has pulled in the seventh-most money at the Box Office among its peers, only ahead of the first three movies.
The climax’s summary reads: ‘Over many missions and against impossible odds, Dom Toretto and his family have outsmarted and outdriven every foe in their path.
‘Now, they must confront the most lethal opponent they’ve ever faced. Fueled by revenge, a terrifying threat emerges from the shadows of the past to shatter Dom’s world and destroy everything – and everyone – he loves.’
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse – $690 million
Growth: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse raked in $690m at time of writing – almost double that of its predecessor, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse comes in closely behind Fast X, having grossed $690m at time of writing – almost double that of its predecessor.
The sequel to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) sees its lead comes across a team of Spider-People charged with protecting the Multiverse.
When the heroes clash on how to handle a new threat, Miles – voiced by Shameik Moore – must redefine what it means to be a hero.
The movie was released to theatres on June 2, potentially seeing its Box Office success curtailed by the emergence of Barbenheimer.
The Little Mermaid – $570 million
Controversial: Disney’s decision to cast a Black actress (Halle Bailey pictured as Ariel) in the leading roll of The Little Mermaid drew criticism from some
In at seventh in 2023’s highest-grossing movies is Disney’s live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid (1989).
This retelling, led by Halle Bailey as Ariel, pulled in $570m since its May 26 theatrical release despite a slow start at the Box Office.
The decision to cast a Black actress in the leading role drew criticism from some as Disney became caught up in a culture war row which also focused on Lightyear, which was banned in 14 countries for displaying a same-sex couple.
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One – $568 million
‘Impeccably made’: Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One enjoyed a superb critical reception
Tom Cruise’s seventh outing as Ethan Hunt came in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One – 2023’s final movie to make over half-a-million dollars worldwide.
He is joined in the film by Simon Pegg, Hayley Atwell and Ving Rhames.
Its $568m takings reflect a superb reception for the ‘impeccably made’ film, which has a Rotten Tomatoes critics’ score of 96 per cent.
Top 20 highest-grossing movies of 2023
- Barbie – $1.44 billion
- The Super Mario Bros. Movie – $1.36billion
- Oppenheimer – $951 million
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 – $846 million
- Fast X – $705 million
- Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse – $691 million
- The Little Mermaid – $570 million
- Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One – $568 million
- Elemental – $496 million
- Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania – $476 million
- John Wick: Chapter 4 – $440 million
- Transformers: Rise of the Beasts – $439 million
- Meg 2: The Trench – $395 million
- Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny – $384 million
- Five Nights at Freddy’s – $287 million
- Creed III – $275 million
- The Flash – $271 million
- The Nun II – $268 million
- Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour – $250 million
- Sound of Freedom – $248 million
Source: Box Office Mojo
