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'Barbie' movie tops $1 billion in box office ticket sales

August 7, 2023

The film set a record for Greta Gerwig, making her the first solo female director to pass the billion-dollar benchmark. The film's distributors said it exceeded their "most optimistic predictions."

https://p.dw.com/p/4Uq3Y
Advertisements for the films "Oppenheimer" and "Barbie" appear at AMC Theaters at The Grove on Thursday, July 20, 2023, in Los Angeles.
'Barbie' ticket sales surpassed that of its R-rated top competitor, 'Oppenheimer'Image: Chris Pizzello/AP/picture allaince

The blockbuster film "Barbie" has reaped over $1 billion (more than €900 million) in box office ticket sales worldwide after just two-and-a-half weeks in theaters, a unit of production studio Warner Brothers said on Sunday.

Warner Bros. Pictures said the film sold $549 million worth of tickets domestically (which includes both the US and Canada), and another $572.1 million overseas since its release on July 21.

"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," said Jeff Goldstein and Andrew Cripps, who oversee the film's domestic and international distribution, respectively.

Millions expected to flock to 'Barbenheimer' opening weekend

The sales have been confirmed by media analytics firm Comscore.

Barbie's top competitor these past two weeks, Christopher Nolan's "Oppenheimer" biopic, has meanwhile reaped $228.6 million domestically and $552.9 million globally, making it the highest grossing adults-only rated film of the year.

Recent films to hit the $1 billion box office barrier include "The Super Mario Bros" this year, and the "Top Gun: Maverick" sequel last year, as well as the second installment of "Avatar: The Way of Water" in 2022. 

Record set for Gerwig as female director

The film set a record for its director and co-writer Greta Gerwig, making her the first female solo director to top the $1 billion benchmark. Other female directors have achieved this whopping box office sale, but as co-directors.

The Oscar-nominated Gerwig is known for her feminist vision, overseeing earlier successes such as "Ladybird" and the 2019 production of "Little Women."

"Barbie" stars Margot Robbie as Mattel's iconic doll, and Ryan Gosling as her boyfriend Ken.

It follows the story of the two dolls as they leave "Barbie Land" for an adventure in the real world, playfully exploring topics such as the controversy surrounding the doll's impact on women's self image as well as patriarchy.

Why 'Barbie' matters

rmt/msh (AP, Reuters)