After reigning supreme in its four-week pink-hot theatrical run, "Barbie" would face a new challenger in the form of DC's latest superhero film "Blue Beetle."
Starred by "Cobra Kai" actor Xolo Maridueña, the film picked up $3.3 million in ticket sales in Thursday's (August 17) previews at the US box office alone.
Mattel vs. DC
While both films are distributed by Warner Bros., "Barbie" and "Blue Beetle" came from different production houses: the former was commissioned by Mattel, while the latter was an adaptation of a DC graphic novel.
However, despite its massive success in the long run, "Barbie" fared a little worse than "Blue Beetle" on its opening weekend, with the latter projecting to profit between $25 million and $32 million this weekend. "Barbie" would only be adding a mere $17 million to $20 million in its fifth week.
On the other hand, CNBC reported "Blue Beetle" would have to prove itself to be a good standalone film due to its lack of promise of interaction with Justice League veterans like Clark Kent (Superman), Bruce Wayne (Batman), or Diana Prince (Wonder Woman) in the story.
"We're in limbo now," BoxOffice.com chief analyst Shawn Robbins said. "In a world where superheroes aren't really novelties anymore, that's going to be a tough sell for a lot of people."
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Latino DC Story
"Blue Beetle," directed by ángel Manuel Soto, would be DC's first superhero movie led by a Latino actor.
Maridueña plays Jaime Reyes, a teen who stumbles upon a mysterious piece of alien technology that encases him in an advanced exoskeleton suit. The powerful blue suit grants him extraordinary abilities, like flight, energy projection, and super strength.
The film is set to become the third of four DC films coming out this year, following "Shazam: Fury of the Gods" and "The Flash."
Meanwhile, "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" is scheduled to show in December.
Also opening this weekend is Universal's "Strays," a raunchy, talking-dog comedy starring Will Forte and the voices of Will Ferrell, Jamie Foxx, Isla Fisher, Randall Park, Josh Gad, and Sofía Vergara. The R-rated comedy is projected to open with $15 million to $17 million, Variety reported.
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