Over the weekend, the DC superhero movie "Blue Beetle" led ticket sales with a modest $25.4 million opening, taking the top spot from "Barbie" after its impressive month-long success that turned movie theaters pink.

Despite this, the popularity of "Barbie" continues. Greta Gerwig's film, which recently became Warner Bros.' highest-grossing release ever in the US, almost remained at No. 1 with $21.5 million during its fifth weekend. Its total earnings stand at $567.3 million in North America and a staggering $1.28 billion worldwide.

Another movie, Christopher Nolan's "Oppenheimer," performed exceptionally well despite never securing the top spot. In its fifth week, it earned $10.6 million, totaling $285.2 million domestically. It now holds the record as the highest-grossing film never to be No. 1 in a weekend box office, surpassing the previous record set by 2016's "Sing."

On the international front, Universal Pictures' "Oppenheimer" has achieved even greater success, with a global gross of approximately $717.8 million.

"Blue Beetle," featuring Xolo Maridueña, didn't meet high expectations and had a comparatively lower debut for a DC Comics movie. Originally planned for streaming, Warner Bros. opted to release it in theaters during the quiet late summer period.

 The production cost of around $105 million for "Blue Beetle" is below the average for superhero films. It's one of the final releases made under the previous leadership at DC Studios before James Gunn and Peter Safran took charge.

Directed by Ángel Manuel Soto and written by Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer, "Blue Beetle" received positive reviews, particularly in contrast to other DC releases this year like "The Flash," "Black Adam," and "Shazam! Fury of the Gods." The film, with a 76% freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes, is notable for its focus on a Hispanic cast.