Honest or not? "Gran Turismo" beats "Barbie", but only thanks to a unique strategy

"Gran Turismo" came out on top at the box office surpassing "Barbie," but only because of one detail.

Here's What We Know

The "Gran Turismo" film based on the popular video game debuted at number one at the domestic box office in its opening weekend, earning $17.3 million. However, the final totals may put it below "Barbie."

This ambiguity is due to the fact that the original release date for "Gran Turismo" was delayed due to the strikes, but special screenings were used to increase interest and positive reactions.
However, the revenue from these special screenings, which totalled $3.9 million, was included in the total box office receipts, raising some doubts about the accuracy of their calculations.

This strategy paid off, as the film, directed by Neill Blomkamp, took the top spot at the domestic box office, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

It's also clear that "Barbie" would have won the weekend had those additional screenings not been included. Additionally, since the final numbers from Sunday (which is National Movie Day and is expected to see a surge in attendance thanks to the special $4 ticket prices) are tallied on Monday morning, it's likely that "Barbie" will regain the lead.

Whether Sony overestimates the box office grosses for "Gran Turismo's" opening weekend may not be that important in the end. After all, a $17.3 million opening isn't great news for a film with an estimated budget of around $100 million. To break even, "Gran Turismo" needs to earn closer to $200 million.

The film has already hit international markets, where it has earned $36.5 million so far, but even that falls short of what Sony probably expected from a summer release.