Gran Turismo was originally supposed to hit the big screen last weekend; instead, Sony Pictures held preview screenings earlier this week, resulting in the racing movie taking the $5.3 million from those and adding it to its opening weekend haul for a $16.5 million debut.
It probably sounds confusing but this is also what studios do when they open a movie on a Wednesday ahead of a big holiday weekend, for example. Warner Bros. isn't happy, though, as it means the PlayStation adaptation has beaten Barbie to the #1 spot.
If those previews weren't counted, then Barbie would be back at the top of the box office with an impressive $15.7 million haul during its sixth weekend in theaters.
When it comes to Blue Beetle, that's slipped to #3 after a $2.6 million Friday which means it's set for a disappointing $10 million weekend (a -60% drop). The hope was that the DC Comics adaptation would have legs, and while its current domestic haul of $43.5 million isn't terrible, it's also far from good.
This is unfortunate for the penultimate DCEU movie because its Rotten Tomatoes score has bounced back in recent days - it sits at 78% after very nearly losing "Certified Fresh" status - and a lot of fans have done their best to rally around the title.
We're still waiting on updated international numbers but, as far as we're currently aware, Blue Beetle has yet to top $100 million.
However, there's a chance all the numbers you see here will look vastly different by Monday morning. Tomorrow is National Cinema Day in the U.S., meaning tickets will cost only $4 each. Will Gran Turismo, Barbie, Blue Beetle, or even Oppenheimer benefit the most? That remains to be seen.
Let us know what you're planning to watch in theaters this weekend down in the comments section!
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