‘Barbie’ becomes North America's top-grossing film in 2023: Here’s all you may want to know

The movie "Barbie" has achieved the highest earnings in North America this year. The fantasy-comedy film directed by Greta Gerwig, featuring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, has generated $575.4 million at the domestic box office. This surpasses the previous leader, "The Super Mario Bros. Movie," which gathered $574 million domestically.

Globally, "Barbie" has earned $1.3 billion, soon to overtake "Mario" (with $1.35 billion worldwide) as the year's highest-grossing worldwide release. Notably, only two major films this year have reached the $1 billion milestone, and neither belongs to the superhero or popular franchise sequel genres.

In July, "Barbie" commenced its remarkable run, boasting the best opening of the year ($162 million) and maintaining the top spot for four consecutive weekends. The movie also marked the largest opening weekend for a female-directed film and holds the record as the highest-earning movie directed solely by a woman. Currently, "Barbie" ranks as the 14th highest-grossing domestic release and the 20th highest-grossing global release in history.


Recently, "Barbie" also outperformed Christopher Nolan's superhero spectacle "The Dark Knight" ($536 million) to become Warner Bros.' highest-grossing domestic release. There is potential for it to eventually surpass the studio's century-old record, held by 2011’s "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" ($1.34 billion) as the highest-earning worldwide release.

Greta Gerwig, known for directing Oscar-nominated films like "Lady Bird" and "Little Women," co-wrote the script with her partner Noah Baumbach. The vibrant and colorful film follows the iconic doll as she departs from Barbie Land to explore the realities of the real world. The ensemble cast includes America Ferrera, Issa Rae, Will Ferrell, Kate McKinnon, Simu Liu and Michael Cera.

FAQs

Which movie became the highest-grossing film in North America in 2023, surpassing its predecessor?
"Barbie" officially overtook "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" as the highest-grossing film in North America in 2023.

What records did "Barbie" achieve during its run, and how does it rank among the all-time top releases?
"Barbie" achieved records like best opening weekend for a female-directed film, becoming the highest-grossing movie directed solely by a woman. It ranks as 14th-biggest domestic release and 20th-biggest global release.