How much has Barbie made so far at the box office at the end of 2023?

Greta Gerwig’s much-hyped movie Barbie, it is safe to say, took the box office by storm. The movie made an impressive $70.5 million on its opening weekend and exceeded all expectations, with the decision to bring the famous Mattel doll, and supporting acts, to life turning out to be a profitable decision.

Margot Robbie took on the leading role with Ryan Gosling playing the iconic character of Ken. The comedy (which has had people discussing its suitability for kids) follows Barbie’s journey from the fantastical Barbieland to the real world, where she encounters a wide variety of challenges and adventures. The film boasts a deep bench of talent, including Issa Rae, America Ferrera, Kate McKinnon, Michael Cera, Simu Liu, Helen Mirren (as narrator) and Will Ferrell.

With a production cost of $145 million and an extensive marketing campaign that touched all corners of the entertainment world, Barbie was undoubtedly a significant gamble, with questions over what returns would follow.

Barbie and the box office

The momentum for Barbie started building early, with the movie’s preview ticket sales topping anything seen in 2023 and bringing in a hefty $22.2 million. The excitement continued on the first Friday it was premiered, as the movie garnered an additional $48.2 million across 4,243 movie theaters, surpassing the opening day earnings of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, which had held the record with $51.8 million in June.

After that, all eyes were on the weekend box office, as Barbie claimed the title of the biggest three-day debut of 2023. The movie took the lead from The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which achieved an impressive $146.3 million in three days in April, maximising its Easter holiday release, contributing to its higher total of $224 million during that period.

Barbie also set a new record for the biggest opening weekend ever for a feature directed by a woman. The record was previously held by Captain Marvel, which earned $153 million during its opening weekend in 2019, co-directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck. Barbie comfortably surpassed the highest-grossing feature solely directed by a woman. The movie directed by Greta Gerwig has brought in over $1 billion dollars at the box office.

Critics were fairly positive when the reviews came around, with its appeal stretching across generational boundaries, the summer certainly saw many more shades of pink with movie goers keen to see what Robbie and Gosling brought to the roles.

Which was the biggest movie of 2023?

At the end of 2023, it was confirmed that Barbie was indeed the biggest film of the year, beating the global box office earnings of the Super Marios Bros. Movie. Greta Gerwig’s work has now made $1.38 billion, making it the biggest of the year, surpassing the Italian plumber’s debut on the big screen, which made $1.36 million. In case you’re wondering, Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer has made $853 million at the box office.