“Barbie” is saying “hiya” to the billion-dollar club.
Greta Gerwig’s pink-coated fantasy comedy on Sunday will surpass $1 billion at the global box office, including $459 million in North America and $572 million internationally. “Barbie” is hitting the coveted milestone after just 17 days of release.
It’s only the sixth pandemic-era movie to cross $1 billion, following “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” “Top Gun: Maverick,” “Jurassic World Dominion,” “Avatar: The Way of Water” and “The Super Mario Bros. Movie.”
“Barbie” opened in theaters on July 21 as a full-fledged phenomenon, thanks to the marketing campaign of the year and the hype around “Barbenheimer,” the nickname for the twin release date with Christopher Nolan’s dark historical drama “Oppenheimer.” The film smashed expectations with its $155 million debut, ranking as the biggest opening weekend of the year, as well as the best start for a film directed by a woman.
Gerwig, the Oscar-nominated director of “Lady Bird” and “Little Women,” co-wrote the screenplay with her partner Noah Baumbach. Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling star as the stereotypical versions of Barbie and Ken, who leave behind the Dreamhouse on a quest for self-discovery in the real world. Issa Rae, Dua Lipa, Simu Liu, Michael Cera, Helen Mirren, John Cena and Will Ferrell round out the cast.