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“Blue Beetle” took down “Barbie” at this past weekend’s box office. The film came in the first spot with a $25.4 million opening, earning an additional $18 million internationally. The film is led by 22 year old Xolo Maridueña, playing Jaime Reyes.
“Blue Beetle” follows Reyes, a lost college graduate who’s recently returned home and is looking for his purpose. He then discovers an ancient and alien relic called the Scarab, granting him with dangerous superpowers.
The film co-stars a cast of Latin actors including Bruna Marquezine, George Lopez , Belissa Escobedo, Harvey Guillen, and more. Susan Sarandon also stars, an experience that Marquezine discussed in a recent interview. “I learned so much just by observing Susan,” she said to Flaunt magazine. “I remember feeling so insecure around her. On one occasion, when we were almost done filming one of my character’s most important scenes, I felt I needed just one more take and asked the director for one more shot. Right after finishing, Susan told me, ‘Wow, girl, that was great.’ She even came to me afterward to compliment me again. All I could say was ‘Really?’ and then started crying.”
Other movies at the box office performed similarly, with “Barbie” earning $21.5 million domestically, and “Oppenheimer” earning $10.6 million. Coming in third was the animated “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” which earned $8.4 million.
Despite “Blue Beetle” taking the top spot, the opening continues a trend for superhero movies underperforming at the box office. It’s believed that the Tropical Storm Hilary had an impact in the amount of people that showed up for their screenings. The SAG-AFTRA strikes could have also impacted box office performance, considering that actors can’t participate in the film’s promotion.