Greta Gerwig’s pink-clad comedy surpassed the $1 billion mark at the worldwide box office, including grossing $459 million in North America and another $572 million in other parts of the world This makes Gerwig the first female director in history whose film has grossed a billion dollars.
Three other billion-dollar blockbusters were co-directed by women: “Iceheart” ($1.3 billion) and “Iceheart 2” ($1.45 billion) by Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck, and “Captain Marvel” ($1.1 billion) by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck.
“Barbie” reached the milestone just 17 days after its premiere – the fastest in Warner Bros. history. – previously held the record for “Harry Potter and the Deadly Relics: Part 2” (19 days). Overall, this is the eighth “billion-dollar” movie in the studio’s 100-year history.
Warner Bros. said it was “not often at a loss for words over a movie’s results,” but “the billion surpassed even our most optimistic projections.”
“Barbie” remains number one at the box office for the third weekend in a row, Variety writes.
The film was released on July 21, exceeding all expectations by collecting $155 million in box office receipts on opening weekend – a record for 2023. It’s also the best start for a movie directed by a woman.
“Barbie” was released in theaters on the same day as the premiere of Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer.” Because of the contrast between the two films – a fantasy comedy about a doll and a biographical thriller about the creator of the atomic bomb Robert Oppenheimer – the meme “Barbenheimer” appeared on the Internet. Cillian Murphy, who played the lead role in “Oppenheimer,” advised audiences to see both films on the same day and remarked, “if they’re good movies, it’s good for the movie industry.”
Margot Robbie is being richly rewarded for her key role in bringing “Barbie” to the big screen. The star and producer behind the summer’s biggest hit stands to make roughly $50 million in salary and box office bonuses, according to three individuals with knowledge of her deal.
“Barbie” director and co-writer Greta Gerwig will also likely receive bonuses because of the film’s outsized success.
