Entertainment Movies Historical Movies 'Barbie' Beats 'Dark Knight' to Become Biggest Monday Box Office for Warner Bros. with $26M: Report The Greta Gerwig film ousted "The Dark Knight" — coincidentally, directed by "Oppenheimer"'s Christopher Nolan — as Warner Bros.' biggest Monday box office By Jen Juneau Jen Juneau Jen Juneau is a News and Movies Staff Writer at PEOPLE. She started at the brand in 2016 and has more than 15 years' professional writing experience. People Editorial Guidelines Published on July 25, 2023 03:19PM EDT Ryan Gosling in Barbie (2023); Christian Bale in The Dark Knight (2008). Photo: Jaap Buitendijk; Warner Bros./Courtesy Everett Barbie is putting quite the smile on moviegoers' faces. The Margot Robbie-led comedy broke yet another box-office record this week, surpassing The Dark Knight to become Warner Bros. Pictures' biggest-selling movie for a Monday ever. Per Variety, Barbie raked in $26 million in North America on Monday, beating the $24.6 million (unadjusted for inflation) earned by 2008's The Dark Knight — which, incidentally, was directed by Christopher Nolan, who also helmed Barbie's biggest box-office competitor, Oppenheimer. Meanwhile, the latter movie, led by Cillian Murphy, earned $12.6 million on Monday, bringing its domestic total to $95 million since it was released Friday (the same day as Barbie), Variety reports. In comparison, Barbie has amassed $188 million in North America, according to the outlet. Directed by Greta Gerwig, Barbie has made $382 million worldwide as of Monday, per Variety. It's too soon to tell whether it will surpass The Dark Knight in total, with the hit Batman-universe film having made more than $1 billion globally during its theatrical run. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories. Margot Robbie in Barbie (2023); Christian Bale in The Dark Knight (2008). Jaap Buitendjik; Warner Bros/DC Comics/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock Margot Robbie Paid Off Her Mother's Mortgage After Success: 'Anyone in My Position, You'd Do That for Your Mom' Robbie — who, coincidentally, has played Batman villain Harley Quinn in multiple DC Extended Universe films — costars alongside Ryan Gosling and an extensive ensemble cast in Barbie, which follows the titular Mattel doll as she leaves Barbie Land to discover answers in the real world. The movie made $22.3 million in Thursday preview screenings alone, while Oppenheimer, which stars Murphy, 47, as Manhattan Project lead physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, took in $10.5 million, per Variety. Barbie scored $162 million domestically over its opening weekend, marking the biggest-ever debut for a movie directed by a woman. Christopher Nolan and wife Emma Thomas attend a screening of Oppenheimer in New York City on July 17, 2023. Kevin Mazur/Getty Barbenheimer! PEOPLE Staffers Recap Their 5-Hour 'Barbie' and 'Oppenheimer' Moviegoing Experiences While Nolan, 52, wasn't involved in the movies where Robbie, 32, played Harley, he directed and wrote the entire Dark Knight trilogy that also included Batman Begins (2005) and The Dark Knight Rises (2012), all starring Christian Bale as the Caped Crusader. As The Dark Knight marked its 15th anniversary this month, Nolan said during an interview with YouTuber HugoDécrypte that he has no interest in directing another superhero movie. Barbie and Oppenheimer are both playing in theaters now. Close