Barbie joins elite club with $1B US in box office sales

Greta Gerwig should be feeling closer to fine these days. In just three weeks in theatres, Barbie is set to sail past $1 billion US in global ticket sales, breaking a record for female directors that was previously held by Patty Jenkins for Wonder Woman.

Barbie, which Gerwig directed and co-wrote, added another $53 million from 4,178 North American locations this weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday. The film, led and produced by Margot Robbie, has been comfortably seated in first place for three weeks and it's hardly finished yet. Warner Bros. said the film will cross $1 billion before the end of the day.

In modern box office history, just 53 movies have made over $1 billion, not accounting for inflation, and Barbie is now the biggest to be directed by one woman, supplanting Wonder Woman's $821.8-million global total.

WATCH | How to choose between Barbie and Oppenheimer: 

Barbie or Oppenheimer? These reviews can help if you’re torn

1 year ago

Duration 6:41

The simultaneous blockbuster release of the Barbie and Oppenheimer has sparked debate among fans about what movie you should watch first in your 'Barbenheimer' binge. CBC film critics Eli Glasner and Jackson Weaver share their take.

Three movies that were co-directed by women are still ahead of Barbie, including Frozen ($1.3 billion) and Frozen 2 ($1.45 billion), both involving Jennifer Lee, and Captain Marvel ($1.1 billion), co-directed by Anna Boden. But, Barbie has passed Captain Marvel domestically with $459.4 million (versus $426.8 million), thereby claiming the North American record for live-action movies directed by women.

New competition came this weekend in the form of the animated, PG-rated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem and the Jason Statham shark sequel, Meg 2: The Trench, both of which were neck and neck with Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer, also in its third weekend, for the second-place spot.

WATCH | The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' unique look:

'Keep it raw and spontaneous': Crafting the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' unique look

1 year ago

Duration 3:23

Jacques Daigle is the animation director on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. CBC's Eli Glasner spoke with Daigle about the turtles' unique sketchbook-inspired style and working with co-director Jeff Rowe.

Meg 2 managed to sneak ahead and land in second place. It overcame its abysmal reviews to score a $30-million opening weekend from 3,503 locations. 

Third place went to Oppenheimer, which added $28.7 million from 3,612 locations in North America, bringing its domestic total to $228.6 million.

Here are the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theatres, according to Comscore. (Final domestic figures will be released Monday.) 

1. Barbie, $53 million.
2. Meg 2: The Trench, $30 million.
3. Oppenheimer, $28.7 million.
4. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, $28 million.
5. Haunted Mansion, $9 million.
6. Sound of Freedom, $7 million.
7. Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part I, $6.5 million.
8. Talk to Me, $6.3 million.
9. Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, $1.5 million.
10. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, $1.5 million.