Weekend Box Office; ‘Barbie’ nears the $2 billion mark, while “The Last Voyage of the Demeter” capsizes

This Barbie shows no signs of slowing down at the box office, as Greta Gerwig’s cultural phenomenon, “Barbie,” once again reigns atop the box office in both the United States and the United Kingdom after the weekend. 

Variety reports that the Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling juggernaut has pulled in another $33.7 this weekend, making it four weeks at the top in the United States and an estimated $1.8 billion made so far globally.

But the talk after the weekend is the “disaster” that was the opening weekend for “The Last Voyage of the Demeter,” a horror that takes place on the vessel said to have carried the body of Dracula to the United Kingdom. Indeed it was a horror, but in terms of opening weekend figures, earning $6.5 million USD against a budget of $45 million to produce.

It marks another miss for Universal and their predisposition towards vampire movies as of late; many may recall “Renfield,” another Universal production centred around vampires, was also a box office flop - but personally speaking, having watched the film, we should really blame that on promoting the premise of the film incorrectly. 

After being knocked off second place last weekend the “The Meg 2: The Trench,” Christopher Nolan’s historic epic “Oppenheimer” has returned to second at the US box office, now nearing an estimated $650 million USD in the four weeks since it’s release, while Seth Rogan’s zeitgeist-vein tapping “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” climbed into third position after a second weekend at the box office.

No surprises though in the UK chart - both “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” are still ruling cinemas across the country, with “The Meg 2: The Trench” with Jason Statham opening in third and the TNMT film in fourth.

The US and UK Box Office chart (as of August 14 2023)

All information from Box Office Mojo is correct as of the time of writing

US Box Office

1. Barbie
2. Oppenheimer
3. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
4. Meg 2: The Trench
5. The Last Voyage of the Demeter
6. Haunted Mansion
7. Talk to Me
8. Sound of Freedom
9. Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One
10. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

UK Box Office

1. Barbie
2. Oppenheimer
3. The Meg 2
4. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
5. Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One
6. Elemental
7. Joy Ride
8. Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani 
9. Talk To Me
10. Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny