Barbie's record-breaking debut at the box office confirms that we are all captivated by the world of Barbie.
Having premiered on Friday, July 21, the movie managed to amass a staggering $155 million in its opening weekend, surpassing initial predictions that ranged from $90 million to $110 million. Barbie effortlessly outperformed Oppenheimer, doubling its box office earnings during the same period.
Christopher Nolan's three-hour drama on the atomic bomb grossed approximately $80 million, surpassing expectations and being featured as part of a double-feature for many viewers. Starring Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Robert Downey Jr., and Matt Damon, the period film also saw over 20,000 same-day ticket pre-orders for both Barbie and Oppenheimer – a phenomenon known as Barbenheimer.
Not only did Barbie bring in significant revenue, but it also shattered records. Directed by Greta Gerwig, the film achieved the largest box office opening ever for a female-directed movie. This achievement surpassed Patty Jenkins, who previously held the record with Wonder Woman's debut earnings of $103.3 million. Additionally, Anna Boden previously held the co-directing record with Ryan Fleck for 2019's Captain Marvel, which opened with $153 million.
Barbie has emerged as the reigning champion of this year's opening weekend, dethroning The Super Mario Bros. Movie for the top spot. Remarkably, the Mattel film even surpassed the weekend box office performance of all the Marvel movies released in 2023, including Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. (Sony's Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse claims the title of top superhero opening of 2023 with an impressive $120 million.)
Margot Robbie stars as Barbie in the film 'Barbie,' released by Warner Bros. Pictures. This movie takes us on a journey as Barbie navigates the real world, grappling with the mystery of her existence and grappling with existential fear. Notably, it sets a new record as the highest-grossing toy-based film with its impressive three-day opening, surpassing even the Transformers franchise.
Barbie, starring Robbie and Ryan Gosling as Barbie and Ken, has become their biggest opening weekend ever, despite their experience in large studio films. The movie also features America Ferrara, Simu Liu, Michael Cera, Ariana Greenblatt, Will Ferrell, and Kate McKinnon. With a domestic box office collection of $155 million and an expected international revenue of $182 million, Barbie still has a long way to go to fulfill Robbie's ambitious projections.
Robbie explained to Collider that she may have exaggerated when she told Mattel and Warner Bros. that their film would make a billion dollars. However, she emphasized the importance of having creative control over the project. Lucky Chap Entertainment, her company, not only produced the film but Robbie also served as an executive producer. Gerwig, along with her husband Noah Baumbach, wrote the script and directed the film. In the interview, conducted before the SAG-AFTRA strike, Robbie highlighted the successful collaboration between big ideas and visionary directors, using examples like Spielberg's dinosaurs. She concluded by expressing excitement for the pairing of Barbie and Greta Gerwig.