As it turns out, Margot Robbie can foresee the future. And the actor is celebrating all the way to the bank becauseBarbiehas become the highest-grossing film of her career. Over its third weekend in theaters, the adaptation of the Mattel doll crossed the billion-dollar mark at the global box office. But even back when Robbie first pitched the project to Warner Bros. Studios, she had a hunchBarbiecould reach $1 billion.
Robbie said in an interview with Collider’s Perri Nemiroff (viaTwitter):
“I think my pitch in the green-light meeting was, ‘The studios have prospered so much when they’re brave enough to pair a big idea with a visionary director.’ And then I gave a series of examples like, ‘Dinosaurs and Spielberg,' and that, that and that — pretty much naming anything that’s been incredible and made a ton of money for the studios over the years. And I was like, ‘And now you’ve got Barbie and Greta Gerwig.’ And I think I told them that it’d make a billion dollars, which maybe I was overselling, but we had a movie to make, okay!”
In addition to playing the titular role, Robbie serves as one of the producers on the film. And her instinct aboutBarbie’spotential to make a billion dollars turned out to be spot on. Co-writer and directorGreta Gerwig’s vision made $53 million over the last weekend in the United States, which brought the film’s domestic total to $459.4 million. But that’s nothing compared to the numbersBarbieis putting up overseas.
Related:The 16 Best Moments from Greta Gerwig’s Barbie
Robbie Turned Out to Be a Prophet
Barbie’sMargot Robbiesaw the blockbuster film’s bright-pink potential before anyone else had an inkling the movie would even be made — much less rake in $1 billion at the box office. ButBarbiedidn’t just find its audience in the United States. No, the Mattel doll’s big-screen adventures struck a chord overseas, too.
In fact, business is booming across the pond.Barbiehas made $61.7 million in the United Kingdom alone (perBox Office Mojo), which contributes to the even bigger numbersGreta Gerwig’sfilm is doing internationally. At the end of Barbie’s third weekend of release, the movie has made $572.1 million outside of the U.S.
Now, consider the context in whichBarbiehas thrived. In a summer loaded with high-profile titles likeGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,Spider-Man: Across the Spider-VerseandMission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, Barbie has outperformed them all. And then there’s the fact thatGerwig’s film opened up against Christopher Nolan’sOppenheimerin a face-to-face matchup.
Even with Nolan’s movie having the advantage of showing on premium IMAX screens,Barbiehas bested the highly anticipated historical drama three weekends in a row so far. AndOppenheimerhasn’t been a disappointment at the box office. At the time of this writing, Nolan’s flick has amassed more than $553 million globally. But despite all of that stellar competition this summer, Robbie’s vision of a billion-dollarBarbiestill came to fruition after just three weekends of theatrical release.
