‘Barbie’ smashes ‘The Dark Knight’s 15-year-old box office record

Greta Gerwig's comedy-drama film "Barbie" appears to have beaten the 15-year record of Christopher Nolan's 2008 superhero blockbuster "The Dark Knight".

"Barbie", which was released on July 21 alongside Christopher Nolan's "Oppenheimer" on July 21. Both films are ruling the global box office with their unique storytelling.

Barbie earned $26 million (£20 million) at the US box office on Monday (July 24), according to Variety. This figure represents the highest ever Monday gross for a Warner Bros film. Previously, Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight" grossed $24.6 million (unadjusted for inflation).

Barbie has already proven to be a major commercial success for Warner Bros, grossing $162 million (£125 million) in the United States and a total of $337 million (£261 million) globally over its opening weekend. The figure represents the year's largest opening weekend, surpassing children's animation "The Super Mario Bros Movie."

Meanwhile, "Oppenheimer", made less money in its first weekend – $80.5 million (£62 million) in the US and $174.2 million (£135 million) worldwide – but was nonetheless regarded as a success. The film follows the life of nuclear scientist J Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy), dubbed the "Father of the Atomic Bomb" by many.

"Oppenheimer" had a near-perfect rating from the review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes, while "Barbie" received a somewhat lower rating.