Barbie was always going to be the biggest cinematic event of the summer, but it exceeded our wildest expectations once it finally hit the theatres. Greta Gerwig’s latest film set several major box office milestones after scoring an impressive $337 million global opening.
Led by Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, the first live-action film inspired by Mattel’s iconic doll chronicles Barbie’s journey of self-discovery after she leaves Barbieland for the Real World.
Barbie exceeded its box office projections after premiering on July 21, earning $155 million domestically and $182 million globally, for a worldwide total of $337 million. It scored the highest-grossing weekend for a film by a female director, and the largest opening for a non-sequel, non-remake, and non-superhero movie.
Andrew Cripps, Warner Bros president of international theatrical distribution, described Barbie’s success as “a testament to the filmmakers’ singular vision to provide a fun and engaging experience that audiences of all ages are responding to in a fun and powerful way.”
Barbie was in pretty good company at the global box office, with Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer grossing $174 million worldwide. The tonal difference between the two projects inspired the viral Barbenheimer phenomenon, and many moviegoers went to see them as a double feature, thus improving the box office numbers of both films.
