CINEMA
How much has Barbie made so far at the box office?
Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling were making headlines ahead of the premiere and the dollars are still rolling in from ticket sales.
Greta Gerwig’s much-hyped movie Barbie has taken the box office by storm. The movie made an impressive $70.5 million on its opening weekend. The movie has exceeded all expectations. The decision to bring the famous Mattel doll, and supporting acts, to life has turned out to be a profitable decision.
Margot Robbie takes 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), 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 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.
Now, all eyes are 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 held by Captain Marvel, which earned $153 million during its opening weekend in 2019, co-directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck. ‘Barbie’ has 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 have been fairly positive so far, and with its appeal stretching across generational boundaries, the summer is expected to see many more shades of pink with movie goers keen to see what Robbie and Gosling have brought to the roles.