'Barbenheimer' had incredible box office momentum in its first week

It was an explosive week for "Barbenheimer," with the atomic bomb and the atomic blond working hand in plastic hand to deliver box office dynamite. In their first week in domestic theaters, "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" grossed more than $368 million combined.

Greta Gerwig's dazzling doll surpassed a quarter of a billion dollars, with a stunning $258 million, according to Warner Bros., which produced the movie. (CNN and Warner Bros. are both owned by Warner Bros. Discovery.)

It stayed No. 1 throughout the week, nabbing an average of $24 million each day. On Friday, that number jumped to $29 million.

Meanwhile, Christopher Nolan's existential biopic grossed some $128 million. It averaged $11 million per weekday, according to media analytics company Comscore, with $13.4 million on Friday.

Observers say both films are defying box office gravity, even after a blowout opening weekend.

"Movies tend to drop off significantly midweek once that opening weekend interest is satisfied. But this midweek for both movies played almost like a weekend," said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore.

The numbers spell out continued interest in the films and solidify Barbenheimer's status as a cultural sensation.