‘Barbie’ Achieves Record as Warner Bros.’ Top-Grossing Film Worldwide, Surpassing the Final ‘Harry Potter’ Installment at the Box Office
Greta Gerwig’s film is set to make history this Monday, surpassing the monumental $1.342 billion global earnings of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2.” This achievement will crown it as Warner Bros.’s highest-grossing film at the worldwide box office, without adjusting for inflation. The movie “Barbie” has garnered an impressive $592.8 million domestically and a remarkable $745.5 million internationally, solidifying its position as a summer blockbuster. Notably, in just a few days, it will join the elite league of films by crossing the $600 million mark domestically, becoming the 13th movie in cinematic history to achieve this milestone.
Barbie, featuring Margot Robbie in the role of the renowned fashion doll from Mattel, has shattered numerous records on its remarkable journey. The blockbuster hit achieved another significant feat on August 16th, surpassing Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight” to claim the title of Warner Bros.’ highest-grossing movie ever in North America.
In the preceding week, Barbie outperformed the sensational success of “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” by Illumination and Universal at the domestic box office, solidifying its position as the highest-grossing title of 2023 in North America. Anticipations are high that Barbie will soon exceed the global earnings of $1.36 billion achieved by “Super Mario Bros.,” securing its place as the highest-earning movie worldwide for the year. This accomplishment would position Barbie at the impressive 15th spot on the list of all-time highest-grossing films.
Following this milestone, Barbie’s next aspiration is to surpass the worldwide earnings of $1.43 billion amassed by “Frozen II,” aiming to become the top-grossing movie of all time directed by a woman, be it in live-action or animation.
Greta Gerwig, the director, has already etched her name as the highest-grossing female director of a live-action film in the global box office arena, and she also holds the record for the highest-grossing female director domestically.
Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group co-CEOs Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy acknowledged the incredible power of moviegoers worldwide uniting to celebrate an iconic character that has been a source of entertainment for decades. The duo also extended their appreciation to the talented cast, including Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, and America Ferrera, as well as co-writer Noah Baumbach and producers David Heyman — known for guiding the Harry Potter franchise — and Tom Ackerley, who is both Robbie’s husband and producing partner.
While the movie was mostly done by the time the duo arrived on the Warner lot, Abdy is said to have played a key role regarding certain last-minute production decisions. (De Luca and Abdy oversee distribution and marketing.)
It’s hard to say whether Barbie can ultimately hit $1.5 billion globally, but analysts aren’t ruling anything out.
Although the majority of the movie had been completed before the duo’s presence at the Warner lot, reports suggest that Abdy’s influence was pivotal in making certain crucial last-minute production choices. (De Luca and Abdy are also responsible for supervising distribution and marketing.)
Determining whether Barbie will eventually reach the $1.5 billion global mark remains uncertain, yet analysts are refraining from dismissing any possibilities.
