The smash hit films "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" were the top two theatrical releases in Ireland in 2023 based on box office revenue, according to the Irish Film Classification Office's (IFCO) annual report.
“Barbie," the Greta Gerwig flick starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, enjoyed a total gross of €9,934,084 last year, while runner-up “Oppenheimer," the Cillian Murphy-fronted film from Christopher Nolan, snagged €6,428,777.
Together, the 'Barbenheimer' phenomenon - which erupted when the two highly-anticipated films arrived in theaters on the same day last summer - brought in a whopping €16,362,861.
Rounding out the top five were “The Super Mario Bros Movie” with €5,168,926, “Wonka” with €3,997,181, and “Spider-Man: Across the Universe” with €3,188,204.
Overall, Ireland's total box office revenue in 2023 was €101 million, up 10%
on 2022 figures.
IFCO said in its annual report that classified a total of 1,134 theatrical works in 2023, including feature films, short films, and cinema trailers.
While feature films (512) and shorts (17) were up 4% on 2019 figures, there was an 8.3% drop in the number of trailers submitted for classification (605). This coincided with the SAG-AFTRA actors’ strike.
Overall, the number of theatrical works classified last in 2023 was almost back to the 2019 pre-pandemic peak of 1,169.
IFCO said that films originating in the US (28%) accounted for the most films classified for Irish cinema release last year, marginally ahead of India (27%). These were followed by the UK (15%), Rest of the World (13%), Europe (11%), and Ireland (6%).
Perhaps not surprisingly, "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" were also the top two home entertainment films in Ireland in 2023, which is based on the number of units sold.
They're joined in the top five by "The Super Mario Bros Movie," "The Banshees of Inisherin," and "Elvis."
According to IFCO, just under 280,000 DVD and Blu-ray units were sold in Ireland in 2023, down 28% on 2022.
Of course, the 'Barbenheimer' boost is hardly unexpected. Earlier this year, stats from Comscore revealed that "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" were the top two films in the Ireland and UK territory for 2023.
2023 was the first post-pandemic year for box offices in the Ireland and UK territory to achieve over £1 billion, which Comscore says is "a significant milestone on the journey to full recovery."
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