Barbie: Greta Gerwig’s existential comedy rollerblades past the $1B milestone

Last Updated on August 8, 2023

Moviegoers brought plenty of Kenergy to theaters over the weekend, helping Greta Gerwig’s Barbie cross the $1B global mark! According to Box Office Mojo, Barbie rollerbladed past the milestone for a $1,031,481,000 worldwide total. The total finds Gerwig becoming the first woman to surpass the billion-dollar climacteric as a solo director.

“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 Warner Bros’ Jeff Goldstein, President of Domestic Distribution, and Andrew Cripps, President of International Distribution. “This is a watershed moment for Barbie, and no one but Greta Gerwig could have brought this cross-generational icon and her world to life in such a funny, emotional and entertaining story, one that is resonating with all four quadrants of moviegoers and literally turning the entire world pink. Long lines and repeat viewings prove that movies are back in a big, big way, and we look forward to seeing just how far Barbie can go in the real world.”

In addition to my $50 this past weekend, Barbie cruised in a pink convertible with $74M in the trunk from 20,335 screens in 69 overseas markets. There’s no telling how much the film could make before exiting theaters, though the total will be markedly higher by the end of such a successful run.

According to reports, Gerwig was approached about making a Barbie sequel months ago, but her team delayed negotiations until after the movie’s premiere. With the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes ongoing, it could be a while before we hear about any movement on another Barbie Land adventure.

Greta Gerwig directs Barbie from a screenplay she wrote with Noah Baumbach, based on Mattel’s rich history with the Barbie toy brand. The film’s producers are Oscar nominee David Heyman (Marriage Story, Gravity), Robbie, Tom Ackerley, and Robbie Brenner, with Michael Sharp, Josey McNamara, Ynon Kreiz, Courtenay Valenti, Toby Emmerich, and Cate Adams serving as executive producers.

What do you think about Barbie reaching the $1B milestone? Would Gerwig, Margot Robbie, and Ryan Gosling sign for a sequel? Is it best to leave Barbie to stand on its tip-toes as a one-off cinematic gem? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.