Barbie has proved it is more than ‘Kenough’ yet again, recently smashing a box office record that places it ahead of previous title-holder Captain Marvel. The Greta Gerwig-helmed adaptation of the famous Mattel doll has officially become the highest-grossing live-action film directed or co-directed by a woman, just 17 days after its premiere late-last month, per ComicBook.
That milestone puts Barbie ahead of Captain Marvel, which was co-directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck and earned $1.128 billion compared to Barbie’s $1.183 billion (and counting). The recent feat adds to a host of previous records already set by Barbie, with Gerwig’s film becoming the first directed by a woman to cross the $1 billion mark earlier this month.
Elsewhere, the box office haul helped crown Gerwig as the highest-grossing female director of all time, and earlier usurped The Super Mario Bros. Movie as the biggest film opening of 2023. Barbie also scored the highest-ever opening weekend for a non-sequel or non-remake, and together with its premiere partner Oppenheimer, made for fourth biggest domestic opening weekend of all time, with a $301.4 million collective haul.
With so many records under its belt, fans eagerly await Barbie’s potential dethroning of Frozen II, which, while animated, currently holds the title of the highest-grossing film directed or co-directed by a woman. In any case, the records place Barbie within the top 10 of Warner Bros.’ most successful films internationally, surpassing The Dark Knight Rises and three installments of the Harry Potter franchise.
Film experts have credited Barbie’s success to its sweeping marketing campaigns and the long-running buzz dating back to leaked on-set images of co-stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling. Add in the counterintuitive word of mouth from outraged conservatives and you’ve got a blockbuster for the ages.
Barbie’s record-breaking box office haul could spell future success not only for its potential sequel, but for the slew of fellow upcoming Mattel titles, with adaptations of everything from Barney to a J.J. Abrams-directed Hot Wheels currently in the works as part of a toy-inspired cinematic universe.