The Barbie Movie is about self-acceptance and discovering yourself, despite its bold and colorful exterior. Barbie has never been portrayed in a live-action movie before the 2020s, which is quite remarkable. Warner Bros. released the Barbie movie on July 21, 2023, which enabled this to happen. As one of the summer’s most anticipated movies, it has gained a lot of attention.
Have you ever wondered what makes the Barbie movie so compelling that you want to go see it? If so, then you should read this article. In this article, we discuss all the details about the Barbie movie, its box office performance, and why it’s a must-see.
The Box Office Success Of Barbie Compared To Other Movies
Unlike Ant-Man or Indiana Jones, this summer’s biggest movie isn’t likely to be an action flick. Barbie was the most popular movie this summer. It looks like Warner Bros Barbie’s record-breaking success will continue for multiple weekends as well.
Data aggregator ComScore reports that the comedy starring Margo Robbie made $155 million in its first three days domestically.
And just in case you didn’t get it, check out Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, which is a tonally bleak three-hour portrait of the constructor of the atomic bomb.
During the first four days of Barbie’s release (including previews), the worldwide box office earned $414.4 million. There are $226.3 million in overseas sales, which is a solid performance. By doing so, it surpassed Mission: Impossible 7’s worldwide box office of $373.08 million. Additionally, Warner Bros. musical fantasy has won the best overseas and domestic movie of Monday. To date, Oppenheimer has generated $174 million in U.S. and Canadian profits and $400 million abroad.
A movie industry that, for the most part, is shattered because of actors’ and screenwriters’ strikes have been blown away by the successes of “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer.”
According to Comscore, U.S., and Canadian theaters will sell about 1.4 million tickets between Friday and Sunday.
| Barbie | $93 million |
| Oppenheimer | $46.2 million |
| Haunted Mansion | $24.2 million |
| Sound of Freedom | $12.4 million |
| Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One | $10.7 million |
| Talk to Me | $10 million |
| Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny | $4 million |
| Elemental | $3.4 million |
| Insidious: The Red Door | $3.2 million |
| Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani | $1.6 million |
Box Office Update
The 2023 Barbie movie, directed by Greta Gerwig and starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, has performed exceptionally well at the global box office. According to official Warner Bros. estimates, the movie has raked in an astounding $1.03 billion at the global box office, making Gerwig the first solo female director with a billion-dollar movie.
The movie has been comfortably seated in first place for three weeks and it’s hardly finished yet. It crossed $400m in the US and $500m internationally faster than any other movie at the studio, including the Harry Potter films. Barbie ticket sales now rank second this year to The Super Mario Bros, which raked in a total of $1.357bn at the box office. In modern box office history, just 53 movies have made over $1bn, not accounting for inflation, and Barbie is now the biggest to be directed by one woman, supplanting Wonder Woman’s $821.8m global total.
Three movies that were co-directed by women are still ahead of Barbie, including Frozen ($1.3bn) and Frozen 2 ($1.45bn), both co-directed by Jennifer Lee and Captain Marvel ($1.1 bn), co-directed by Anna Boden. Barbie has passed Captain Marvel domestically with $459.4m (versus $426.8m), thereby claiming the North American record for live-action movies directed by women.
Synopsis Of The Barbie Movie
There is a basic plot in Barbie Land: Barbie (Margot Robbie), the most popular Barbie, experiences an existential crisis. Her true purpose can only be revealed once she travels to the human world and understands herself. Despite the fact that he has nothing to do with Barbie, Ken (Ryan Gosling) rides along since Barbie’s recognition is the key to his own existence. As they journey towards enlightenment, they meet new friends and encounter harsh truths. Her adventures in the real world lead her to realize that there is no perfection outside, but within, and that the key to happiness lies in believing in herself by the time she returns to Barbieland.
As a feminist icon and a movie about Barbie, this movie acknowledges the mythology surrounding Barbie’s body proportions – as well as the difficulties young girls may face due to them. Despite the fact that there was a Barbie astronaut doll in 1965, NASA did not have a woman astronaut until 1978, a fact “Barbie” celebrates by showing two astronauts holding hands among the stars, standing next to Robbie’s Earthbound Barbie, who shouts, “Yay, space!” Despite that, Mattel (the doll’s manufacturer) and Warner Bros. (the film’s distributor) make it seem as though the jokes are intended to be taken seriously.
Characters In The Barbie Movie
Margot Robbie’s performance in the film strikes the perfect balance between sincerity and satire. There’s no one else who would be better suited to the role, she’s the perfect choice. Ryan Gosling consistently steals the show with his enjoyment of Ken’s himbo flaws. As he throws himself headlong into what he thinks a real man should be like, he transforms from Barbie’s needy beau into a swaggering, macho doofus.
There are several standout characters within the film’s massive cast, most of whom are Barbies and most of whom are Kens. It stars Issa Rae as the stern, no-nonsense President Barbie, Alexandra Shipp as the kind and capable Doctor Barbie, Kate McKinnon as the “Weird Barbie,” meanwhile Simu Liu plays the trash-talking Ken tormenting Gosling’s Ken, with America Ferrera playing a key Mattel employee. Even though everyone else has forgotten Allan, Michael Cera’s Allan stumbles in the middle of hunky Kens in an awkward way.
Reasons Why Everyone Should Go See This Movie
Barbie is one of the year’s most anticipated releases and one that should not be missed. Several reasons can be cited for its excitement.
Barbie’s director, Greta Gerwig, is undoubtedly one of its most captivating aspects. As a director, Gerwig has developed a unique style that combines feminist themes with a nod to her own experiences, as seen in previous films like Lady Bird (2017) and Little Women (2019).
Among the artists featured on the soundtrack are Ava Max, Charli XCX, Gayle, and Lizzo, to name a few. In particular, the band Aqua’s “Barbie Girl” will not be included in the album. A new version of the Barbie theme song will be featured in the movie, called “Barbie World,” sung by Nicki Minaj, Ice Spice, and Aqua.
It feels like a long time has passed since Barbie has had a live-action film, despite numerous animated features. Originally optioned in 2009, the project has gone through several directors, producers, and cast changes. The fact that it is finally coming to life makes me happy, especially because of its surreal color scheme, giving the Barbie setting an almost magical appearance.
In What Way Does This Movie Contribute To World Culture?
As a cultural phenomenon, Barbie and her movie have had a significant impact on societal norms and attitudes related to gender roles, self-identity, and diversity.
There has historically been criticism of Barbie for perpetuating unrealistic beauty standards and gender stereotypes. A variety of strong, independent female characters who pursue diverse interests and careers have been featured in the latest Barbie movie to address these concerns.
As Barbie reminds us, women should not only treasure their play but nurture and reclaim it to have a fulfilling life. It is perfectly okay to wear a sparkly pink outfit, a Mass Effect t-shirt, or a friendship bracelet at the Eras Tour; there is no harm in it at all. There is no reason why women must surrender their imagination, creativity, and enthusiasm because society dictates that they must. As part of Barbie’s philosophy, we are encouraged to believe we are strong.
Final Thoughts
The movie Barbie is a fun and engaging movie that offers a lot of heartwarming moments and has many positive messages to convey in its story. Aside from the eye-catching set designs, the set construction is also on point. Even though Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling were both excellent in their roles, Gosling is the one who shines the brightest.