‘Barbenheimer’ made this July the best one ever at the box office for Cineplex

Cineplex Inc. says it saw its highest July box office of all time as Barbie and Oppenheimer sent droves to theatres last month.

The Toronto-based cinema chain says the record month surpassed $86 million in net box office revenues.

July also delivered the company its second-highest month on record, trailing December 2015, when Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens was released.

Cineplex attributed much of the month’s lift to Barbie, which generated the highest July attendance at its theatres, followed by Oppenheimer and Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One.

Altogether the company says 6.8 million moviegoers visited its theatres last month and Cineplex also scored its second highest monthly premium box office revenue of all time.

Barbie, starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, debuted on July 21, the same day as Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer hit theatres, with many fans treating the concurrent releases as a double bill.

Barbie or Oppenheimer? These reviews can help if you’re torn

The simultaneous blockbuster release of the Barbie and Oppenheimer has sparked debate among fans about what movie you should watch first in your ‘Barbenheimer’ binge. CBC film critics Eli Glasner and Jackson Weaver share their take.