Barbie Film, Directed by Greta Gerwig, Surpasses $1 Billion Worldwide Box Office
Barbie, the latest film directed by Greta Gerwig, has shattered records by becoming the biggest film directed by a woman, surpassing Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman. The movie has recently crossed the $1 billion mark at the global box office since its release just over two weeks ago.
Warner Bros Pictures announced that Barbie earned $459 million from North American theaters and an additional $572.1 million overseas over the weekend, bringing its total to a staggering $1.0315 billion. Media analytics firm Comscore confirmed the figures.
Jeff Goldstein and Andrew Cripps, who oversee domestic and international distribution for the studio, expressed their awe at Barbie’s performance. They stated, “As distribution chiefs, we’re not often rendered speechless by a film’s performance, but Barbillion has blown even our most optimistic predictions out of the water.”
The Margot Robbie-led and produced film has dominated the box office for three consecutive weeks and shows no signs of slowing down. It reached $400 million in the US and $500 million internationally faster than any other movie at the studio, including the beloved Harry Potter films.
Directed by Oscar-nominated writer and director Greta Gerwig, Barbie follows the journey of the iconic toy doll, played by Margot Robbie, as she embarks on an adventure in the real world. The film has received critical acclaim for its empowering feminist narrative.
Barbie’s ticket sales now rank second this year, trailing only The Super Mario Bros, which earned a total of $1.357 billion. In terms of modern box office history, only 53 movies have crossed the $1 billion mark, making Barbie the biggest film directed by a woman, surpassing Wonder Woman’s global total of $821.8 million.
While three films co-directed by women (Frozen, Frozen 2, and Captain Marvel) still surpass Barbie in terms of overall revenue, Barbie has overtaken Captain Marvel domestically with $459.4 million, claiming the North American record for live-action movies directed by women.
In addition to Barbie’s success, the J Robert Oppenheimer biopic, titled Oppenheimer, has also been performing exceptionally well. Starring Cillian Murphy, the film garnered an additional $28.7 million in North America, bringing its domestic total to $228.6 million. It has earned a total of $552 million worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing R-rated film of the year and the sixth-biggest film overall in 2023, surpassing Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.
Oppenheimer now ranks among the top-grossing biographies of all time, alongside films like Bohemian Rhapsody, The Passion of the Christ, and American Sniper. It has also secured the title of the biggest second world war film ever.
The success of films like Barbie, Oppenheimer, and the surprising anti-trafficking hit Sound of Freedom has contributed to a significant boost in the box office, exceeding expectations and compensating for the underwhelming performances of some summer releases, such as The Flash and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.
The achievements of Barbie and Oppenheimer illustrate the growing influence of female directors and the demand for diverse storytelling in the film industry. As more milestones are shattered, it is a step towards greater equality and representation in Hollywood.
Sources: Reuters, Associated Press