"Barbie" Breaks Half a Billion at Global Box Office

Greta Gerwig's "Barbie" has officially crossed the half-a-billion mark at the Global Box Office after less than a week of release.

The adaptation isn’t just an American phenomenon. The movie’s dominating every market it’s in. "Barbie" has already made $40.2 million in the UK, $25.2 million in Brazil, $18.9 million in Australia, and $15.9 million in China just to name a few. It truly is a Barbie world and it’s only going to get hotter as the film heads into the weekend. As of right now, "Barbie" is tracking at a $70 million plus second weekend domestically. 

Why Has Barbie Been So Successful?

The reimagining stars Margot Robbie as the main Barbie and Ryan Gosling as the original Ken, alongside other co-stars such as Dua Lipa, Issa Rae, Nicola Coughlan, Hari Nef, Kate McKinnon, Emma Mackey, and more as different versions of the doll and various Kens, including Simu Liu.

Other surprise stars include Michael Cera, America Ferrera, Helen Mirren, Will Ferrell, and more.

Gerwig directed the project from a script she co-wrote with Noah Baumbach.

It follows Barbie and Ken are having the time of their lives in the colorful and seemingly perfect world of Barbie Land. However, when they get a chance to go to the real world, they soon discover the joys and perils of living among humans.

Robbie also produced the movie through her LuckyChap production company alongside LuckyChap’s Tom Ackerley. It is also produced by Mattel Films’ Robbie Brenner and Paddington’s David Heyman.

The Barbie project dates back all the way to 2009, with Sony originally lining up Diablo Cody to write the script in 2014. Two years later, Amy Schumer was cast for the titular role from a script by Hilary Winston.

However, the project remained in development until Warner Bros. and Robbie picked it up in 2018, originally aiming for Patty Jenkins on directing duties.

While some of the movie’s rabid success can be attributed to the hilarious Barbenheiner cultural phenomenon, at the end of the day, Barbie’s an extremely fun feel-good movie with a ton of meaningful heart. Like Super Mario Bros.

Earlier this year, "Barbie" has become a multigenerational event that the whole family needs to see. It is one of those great movies where it only feels right to share the laughs and a good cry with a crowded theater.

Almost everyone has at least one memory of Barbie growing up — whether it’s playing with them yourself or watching your siblings or children have fun with them from afar.

"Barbie" smartly uses that nostalgia as the hefty anchor to its rich satire that tackles female empowerment, masculinity, and toxicity in a very enjoyably fun way. Those themes have helped drive repeat viewings and the added bonus of dressing up in your favorite pink attire has helped to cement Barbie as the world's next pop culture movement.