NEWS
'BARBIE' IS HIGHEST-GROSSING GLOBAL RELEASE EVER

Aseneth WAIDE By Aseneth WAIDE | August 30, 2023

Summer smash ā€œBarbieā€ is the highest-grossing global release in the studio’s 100-year history, beating out 2011’s ā€œHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.ā€

Greta Gerwig’s ā€œBarbieā€ edged out the saga’s finale by $767,505, according to Comscore projections. Comscore estimated a global total of $1,341,854,460 through Monday for ā€œBarbie.ā€

On Monday, Warner Bros. said ā€œBarbieā€ will pass ā€œHarry Potterā€ to become its highest grossing film globally. That’s still not enough to crack the top 10 highest-grossing movies of all time, however, which is dominated by Disney franchises like Marvel’s Avengers, Star Wars and Avatar.

The highest-grossing film of all time is ā€œAvatar,ā€ which took in $2.9 billion globally, according toĀ Box Office Mojo. It was produced by 20th Century Fox and debuted in 2009. The Avatar franchise is now owned by Disney.

ā€œBarbieā€ and the ā€œHarry Potterā€ films are distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, which is owned by CNN’s parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery.

ā€œWhen ā€˜Barbie’ was first announced, I don’t think anybody could have predicted that this will become the global phenomenon that it has,ā€ said Paul Dergarabedian, senior analyst at Comscore.

While ā€œHarry Potterā€ had a longer path to success over several films, Barbie’s meteoric rise was ā€œthe perfect storm,ā€ Dergarabedian said, of a cultural, movie and social media phenomenon coming together.

Dergarabedian said the movie could have a ripple effect going forward for the industry.

ā€œThe implications moving forward are that it can be very successful for Warner Bros. and of course Mattel for sure,ā€ he said.

A blockbuster summer

Just last week, ā€œBarbieā€ surpassed ā€œSuper Mario Bros.ā€ as the highest-grossing movie at the domestic box office this year. It took Barbieland just 34 days since its release to reach the record-breaking title.

ā€œBarbieā€ started breaking records early. ItĀ made $155 million domesticallyĀ in its opening weekend, marking the largest opening weekend of the year and the biggest-ever debut for a female director. ā€œBarbieā€ also was crowned Warner Bros. Discovery’s highest-grossing domestic release, beating out ā€œThe Dark Knightā€ in 2008.

ā€œBarbieā€Ā hit the $1 billion global box office markĀ barely three weeks into its run — only about 50 films in history, adjusted for inflation, reached the benchmark, Dergarabedian previously said. Gerwig became the first solo female director with a billion-dollar movie.

The film no longer rules the domestic box office, though. In late August, ā€œBlue Beetleā€ — also distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures — unseated ā€œBarbieā€ from the top of the US box office. ItsĀ $25 million domestic openingĀ paled in comparison to ā€œBarbie,ā€ however.