A scene from the “Barbie” movie.
Courtesy: Warner Bros.
“Barbie” is lower than $100 million away from topping $1 billion at the worldwide box office.
Heading into the weekend, the bubblegum pink flick from Warner Bros. Discovery and Mattel has tallied $916.1 million. It’s expected to hit the coveted billion-dollar benchmark before Monday.
“Joining the billion-dollar box office club is a watershed moment for ‘Barbie’ and Greta Gerwig because the latter will change into the primary solo female director to attain that feat,” said Shawn Robbins, chief analyst at BoxOffice.com.
Anna Boden, co-director of Disney’s “Captain Marvel,” was the primary female director to be attached to a billion-dollar live-action film. “Captain Marvel” reached just shy of $1.13 billion during its theatrical run in 2019, in accordance with data from Comscore.
On the animation side, Jennifer Lee has two billion-dollar features under her belt, having co-directed “Frozen” and “Frozen II” with Chris Buck for Disney.
When “Barbie” tops this mark, it can change into the primary billion-dollar film to accomplish that for the newly minted Warner Bros. Discovery, which merged in 2022.
“Ultimately, ‘Barbie’ has change into a world phenomenon in ways the industry perhaps didn’t see coming because it reignites cultural discussions about femininity,” Robbins said. “It’s launched an iconic brand onto the large screen in a way that fans feel is organic and embraces the correct amount of nostalgia to inform a relatable and entertaining story in the trendy world.”
The success of “Barbie” comes at a time when studios have struggled to attach with moviegoing audiences. A series of adult-aimed blockbusters have underperformed in recent months, leading many within the industry to query if consumer tastes have shifted away from Hollywood.
“Barbie” shows that moviegoers are still eager about leaving their couches for quality movies and unique communal experiences. Movie theaters big and small announced record ticket sales within the month of July as pink-clad audiences packed theaters.
The movie’s financial and cultural success “was the results of a most unusual and unpredictable set of circumstances that combined an amazing release date, marketing campaign, a fun and irresistible movie show experience,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore.
Notably, “Barbie’s” marketing was not affected by the continuing writers and actors strikes, which have shut down Hollywood and prevented stars from promoting their film and TV projects. The film was released one week after the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists initiated its strike and celebrity-based marketing efforts were halted.
Box office analysts don’t expect “Barbie” ticket sales to stall after this weekend, either. The film has limited competition throughout the remaining of the summer season and is anticipated to proceed to lure moviegoers to cinemas.
“‘Barbie’ reaching the $1 billion milestone is just one other daring step on its ongoing path to even greater success,” said Dergarabedian. “Because the film’s popularity and cultural resonance continues to draw moviegoers world wide, so too will its box office fortunes rise to even greater heights in the approaching weeks.”
CORRECTION: This text has been updated to indicate that, on the animation side, Jennifer Lee has two billion-dollar features under her belt, having co-directed “Frozen” and “Frozen II” with Chris Buck for Disney.
