Barbie was always going to be one of the summer’s hottest films, but no one could’ve predicted its enormous box office success. Greta Gerwig’s latest film exceeded our wildest expectations with its record-setting $337 million opening weekend.
After months of aggressive promo, Barbie hit the theatres on July 21, and its over-the-top promo tour definitely paid off. This film racked in $337 million worldwide during its opening weekend, including $155 million in North America and an additional $182 million in other territories.
To make the whole thing even more impressive, Barbie’s $337 million opening is the largest of 2023 so far – and this is only one of several impressive records this film managed to set. It also scored the highest-grossing weekend for a female-directed film and the highest-grossing weekend for an original, non-sequel, non-remake, and non-superhero movie.
Along with Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, Barbie also managed to set the fourth-biggest box office weekend in history. Released on the same day, these two films inspired the global Barbenheimer craze due to their tonal differences, leading many people to buy tickets for both and watch them as a double feature.
In addition to impressing the audiences, Barbie is also a critical darling. It currently holds a 90% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, where it’s been described as “a visually dazzling comedy whose meta humor is smartly complemented by subversive storytelling.”
