Mere hours afterChristopher Nolan’sOppenheimersoared past the $200 million mark at the global box office,Greta Gerwig’sBarbiecan celebrate its own major milestone. After six days in theaters across the world, the candy-colored satirical comedy has passed the $400 million mark. Both movies debuted in theaters this past weekend, in an event that came to be known as “Barbenheimer,” and delivered a massive $500 million-plus global opening.
And it doesn’t look like either film is about to slow down any time soon.Barbiehas grossed $214 million at the domestic box office so far, and another $194 million from overseas territories, for a running global haul of $408 million. Notably, it showed an almost 0% decline from Monday’s figures. The movie debuted with more than $350 million worldwideover the weekend, and grossed a record-setting $162 million at the domestic box office. This represents thebiggest opening weekend of the yearso far, and the biggest opening weekend for a film directed by a woman.
Months in the making, “Barbenheimer” was a true blockbuster event thatbrought audiences backto theaters in huge numbers. Combined grosses made this the top weekend since 2019, and the fourth-biggest weekend ever at the domestic box office. Not justBarbie,Oppenheimeralso exceeded expectationsby a wide margin, as it delivered over $80 million stateside and $180 million worldwide in its first three days.
RELATED:‘Barbie’ Budget Breakdown: How the Film Made Box Office History
StarringMargot Robbieas Barbie andRyan Goslingas Ken,Barbieis based on the iconic Mattel toy line. Even though Mattel produced the movie, audiences andcritics have appreciatedthe satirical tone that Gerwig brought to the story, which touches on themes of capitalism, identity, and existentialism. The film’s A CinemaScore from opening day audiences and 90% rating on review aggregatorRotten Tomatoessuggest that there’s a bright future ahead of it, and that W.B. might want to start planning a sequel soon.
But Gerwig was recentlytapped to direct two Narnia moviesfor Netflix, which might make things a little complicated. She was non-committal about a follow-up in a recent interview withThe New York Times, where she said that “at the moment,” she doesn’t think she has another Barbie story in her. “I wouldn’t want to squash anybody else’s dream, but for me, at this moment, I’m at totally zero,” she said.
Gerwig’s Career Trajectory Has Been Astonishing
Gerwig rose up the ranks gradually. She got her start in the mumblecore movement, where she co-directed the comedy dramaNights and WeekendswithJoe Swanberg. She made her solo directorial debut withLady Bird, which earned her Academy Award nominations for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay. She followed it up with the smash hitLittle Women, which earned her a third Oscar nod, this time for Best Adapted Screenplay.Barbieis currently the ninth-biggest Hollywood hit of the year worldwide, behindJohn Wick: Chapter 4($426 million) and ahead ofMission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One($373 million). You can watch our interview with Gerwig here, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
