With the world’s most iconic doll at its heart, visionary filmmaker Greta Gerwig at the helm, and a standout cast led by Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, Warner Bros. Pictures’ Barbie film arrived in theaters on Friday to a record-shattering $356.3 million worldwide, taking in $162 million domestically and $194.3 million in international markets.
The announcement was made today by Jeff Goldstein, President of Domestic Distribution, and Andrew Cripps, President of International Distribution, for Warner Bros. Pictures.
Propelled by massive anticipation, widespread critical praise (read our review), a Certified Fresh Rotten Tomatoes critics rating of 90% with a matching Audience Score and an A CinemaScore, the Barbie film debuted on 4,200 North American screens on Friday, drawing unprecedented crowds in preview showings and throughout the weekend.
Domestically, Barbie now holds the record for the largest opening weekend, pre-shows and single grossing day of 2023, as well as the largest opening for a female-directed film.
Swept in on a wave of social memes and sell-out shows, Barbie sailed into international theaters beginning Wednesday, and took the #1 spot in 55 markets.
The movie is now the biggest industry opening in 2023 in 18 of those markets, including Australia, Brazil and the UK, and set the record for the biggest Warner Bros. Pictures opening of all time in 16 markets, including Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Mexico.
Globally, the Barbie film marks the largest opening for Greta Gerwig as a director and for Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling and nearly every actor in the film, as well as the biggest opening for a movie based on a toy.
“The massive, overwhelming response we’ve seen out there proves what we’ve known from the beginning: that ‘Barbie’ is not only an incredibly special film, but clearly the theatrical event of the summer, if not the year,” said Goldstein.
He continued: “Greta, Margot, Ryan and the entire ‘Barbie’ team have delivered exactly the kind of fun, transporting theatrical experience that audiences everywhere have been craving, as they continue to demonstrate in numbers we haven’t seen since before the pandemic.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled to be part of it, and congratulate everyone involved in this brilliant labor of love.”
Added Cripps, “The incredible results we’ve seen across every releasing market is a testament to not only Greta’s singular vision but the cross-generational impact of Mattel’s iconic creation all over the world. Everything about this film — from its cotton candy-pink wit to the warm-hearted optimism at its core — is engaging with people of all ages in a powerful way, as the long lines at theaters and massive excitement on social media continue to attest.
“Greta Gerwig and her remarkable cast and crew have delivered absolutely the right film at the right time, and with word-of-mouth and repeat business this strong, that momentum is likely to continue well into the year.”
From Oscar-nominated writer/director Greta Gerwig (Little Women, Lady Bird) comes the Barbie film, starring Oscar nominees Margot Robbie (Bombshell, I, Tonya) and Ryan Gosling (La La Land, Half Nelson) as Barbie and Ken.
Robbie and Gosling star alongside America Ferrera, Kate McKinnon, Issa Rae, Rhea Perlman, and Will Ferrell.
The Barbie film also stars Michael Cera, Ariana Greenblatt, Ana Cruz Kayne, Emma Mackey, Hari Nef, Alexandra Shipp, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Simu Liu, Ncuti Gatwa, Scott Evans, and Jamie Demetriou.
The cast is rounded out by Connor Swindells, Sharon Rooney, Nicola Coughlan, Ritu Arya, Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Dua Lipa, and Oscar-winner Helen Mirren.
Gerwig directed Barbie from a screenplay by Gerwig & Oscar nominee Noah Baumbach (Marriage Story, The Squid and the Whale), based on Barbie by Mattel.
The film’s producers are Oscar nominee David Heyman (Marriage Story, Gravity), Robbie, Tom Ackerley and Robbie Brenner, with with Gerwig, Baumbach, Ynon Kreiz, Richard Dickson, Michael Sharp, Josey McNamara, Courtenay Valenti, Toby Emmerich and Cate Adams serving as executive producers.
Gerwig’s creative team behind the camera included Oscar-nominated director of photography Rodrigo Prieto (The Irishman, Silence, Brokeback Mountain), Oscar-nominated production designer Sarah Greenwood (Beauty and the Beast, Anna Karenina), and Oscar-winning costume designer Jacqueline Durran (Little Women, Anna Karenina).
The team also included editor Nick Houy (Little Women, Lady Bird), visual effects supervisor Glen Pratt (Paddington 2, Beauty and the Beast) and music supervisor George Drakoulias (White Noise, Marriage Story).
The score is by Oscar winners Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt (A Star Is Born), who also contributed to numerous songs on the film’s soundtrack.
The soundtrack includes an impressive roster of music artists, including Billie Eilish, Lizzo, Dua Lipa, Nicki Minaj & Ice Spice with Aqua, Charli XCX, KAROL G feat. Aldo Ranks, Tame Impala, Dominic Fike, HAIM, The Kid LAROI, Khalid, PinkPantheress, GAYLE, Ava Max, FIFTY FIFTY and more.
Mirko Parlevliet has been reporting on the entertainment industry since 1998 and founded Vital Thrills in 2018 to cover the latest news on streaming, movies, TV, and video games.