Oppenheimer isn’t the only Christopher Nolan movie that Barbie has surpassed in this summer box office battle. The 2008 blockbuster, The Dark Knight, was dethroned as Warner Bros.’ highest-grossing domestic release.
As of writing, Barbie has earned over $537 million at the domestic box office since its release, overtaking Nolan’s Batman by around $3 million. The film also has the potential to surpass The Super Mario Bros Movie as the highest-grossing movie of 2023 (per Variety). The Nintendo picture currently has a worldwide gross of $1.3 billion, and Barbie is just shy of it by less than $2 million.
Before the blockbuster’s release, Margot Robbie was worried she oversold the movie after she claimed that it could earn $1 billion at the box office, a feat Barbie managed to achieve after three weeks. Following its success, it was reported that the Australian actress will earn $50 million. This also made Greta Gerwig the first solo female director to have a film reach this box office milestone.
It’s not only the box office where Barbie broke records. “I’m Just Ken,” performed by Ryan Gosling, debuted at 87th on the Billboard Hot 100. Meanwhile, Billboard reported that Barbie: The Album became the highest-charting soundtrack on the Billboard 200 since Encanto.
Warner Bros. and Mattel are now trying to replicate Barbie‘s success, as the toy company plans to bring more of its intellectual properties to the big screen. A search for a Hot Wheels director has begun, which is currently scheduled to come out in 2025.
While a sequel has yet to be confirmed, Gerwig and Robbie expressed interest in returning to Barbie Land. If that’s the case, studios had better call Cillian Murphy, who invited filmmakers to have a conversation about him playing Ken.
If you still haven’t watched this billion-dollar blockbuster yet, Barbie is now showing in theaters.