There’s always been a discrepancy in how critics and audience greet action-packed blockbusters, but even at that, there’s no way anybody could have predicted that Gran Turismo would be outpacing both Barbie and Oppenheimer ahead of its release this weekend.
Inspired by both a true story and the video game series of the same name, District 9 director Neill Blomkamp’s first stint as a studio hand-for-hire has gathered an entirely expected Rotten Tomatoes approval rating of 59 percent, which isn’t actually half bad as far as console-to-screen adaptations go.
However, audiences have clearly been left significantly more impressed, with Gran Turismo currently packing an audience average of 98 percent. By comparison, that’s higher than both the 83 percent of Barbie and 91 percent of Oppenheimer, which have combined to earn upwards of $2 billion at the box office since arriving last month.
One positive is that Gran Turismo has been performing decently overseas after hauling in almost $23 million after being given an earlier international rollout, but things aren’t quite so rosy on home shores. Per Box Office Pro, the film is only tracking for a domestic debut in the $15-20 million range, and isn’t expected to fly much higher than $55 million throughout its entire run in local theaters.
Will it be able to hold onto such a mighty Rotten Tomatoes rating for the next few weeks? It’s highly unlikely, but for now Gran Turismo can bask in the glory of being designated as better than Barbenheimer for the time being.