Since its debut on July 21, the cinematic sensation “Barbie” has consistently shattered records, positioning itself as a serious contender for the title of this year’s highest grossing domestic film. Currently trailing “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” by an estimated $48 million, writer-director Greta Gerwig’s creation appears poised to claim the top spot.
With an astounding $155 million in opening weekend earnings domestically, “Barbie” recently joined the elite billion-dollar club in global box office revenue—a feat achieved by only around 50 films in history, when accounting for inflation. Despite a slight dip in popularity last week, the film is projected to have secured an additional $33.7 million over the weekend, maintaining its stronghold in theaters.
The comedy, centering around the iconic doll, has amassed an estimated $525 million domestically and nearly $1.2 billion worldwide. Impressively, “Barbie” earned $10 million in a single Friday, averaging over $11.3 million per day from August 5 to 11. This success stands in stark contrast to “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” which took over five weeks to cross the $500 million domestic mark.
The simultaneous release of “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer,” dubbed “Barbenheimer,” has sparked a pop culture phenomenon, potentially breathing new life into the struggling movie theater industry. Together, they collectively achieved the fourth highest-grossing industry weekend in North America’s history, amassing $302 million. Unlike many top-grossing films known for their action sequences and special effects, “Barbenheimer” stands out for its unique appeal.
Veteran analyst Paul Dergarabedian commented on the unprecedented success, acknowledging that even after three decades in the industry, he found the “Barbie” and “Barbenheimer” phenomenon to be remarkable and unpredictable. Dergarabedian attributed the movie’s triumph to its marketing campaign, which triggered a chain of events culminating in the term “Barbenheimer” being adopted into popular vocabulary.
Margot Robbie, the producer and star of the film, had a premonition during a greenlight meeting with studios, foreseeing the film’s billion-dollar trajectory. “I think I told them they’d make a billion dollars which, maybe I was overselling, but we had a movie to make!” she remarked. Distributed by Warner Bros., owned by parent company Warner Bros. Discovery, “Barbie” continues to captivate audiences and dominate the box office.
source: cnn