‘Barbie’ Eyes Record-Breaking Debut at Global Box Office

“Barbenheimer” day is upon us, and it’s living up to the hype. Director Greta Gerwig’s sharp comedy Barbie is leading the race against Christopher Nolan‘s Oppenheimer both domestically and internationally, on the back of some truly astonishing numbers. We’re talking superhero territory here. The movie is well on its way to deliver the top opening weekend of the year so far at the domestic box office, and it’s managing to attract significant interest overseas as well.

Barbie opened to $70 million on its first day of release at the domestic box office, including $22 million from Thursday previews. The movie is currently tracking to gross over $155 million across the three-day weekend, with Warner Bros. playing it slightly conservative and sticking to $150 million, while some of the more bullish estimates peg the opening in the $160 million range. The movie is eyeing $120 million from just under 70 overseas markets, for a worldwide haul of around $280 million by Sunday, according to The Hollywood Reporter. For context, this is bigger than the $230-odd million that Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One grossed in its extended opening weekend just last week. Dead Reckoning Part One cost twice as much as Barbie, whose budget is reportedly around $145 million.

Barbie received a strong A CinemaScore from opening day audiences, and is currently sitting at an excellent 90% score on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. Collider’s Ross Bonaime also had high praise for the movie in his review, stating “Barbie is also an example of how getting the right people behind an unusual idea can make something truly beautiful come out of it.” The strong audience and critical reception certainly bodes well for the film’s future, and for the studio’s hopes to spawn a franchise.

RELATED: It’s Actually Genius That ‘Barbie’ and ‘Oppenheimer’ Are Premiering on the Same Day

But what about Gerwig’s recent commitment to directing two Narnia movies for Netflix? Gerwig’s vision for Barbie is perhaps the single most important factor (in addition to the studio’s excellent marketing) in the movie’s record-breaking success. Gerwig emerged from the mumblecore movement and has now established herself as one of the most in-demand directors around. She previously helmed the features Lady Bird and Little Women, both of which were smash hits in addition to being critically acclaimed. Her return to Barbie-land for any possible sequel is vital.

The Movie Is Setting New Records

Domestically, Barbie is also on track to become the biggest opener for a solo female filmmaker, overtaking Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman from 2017. Directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck’s Captain Marvel debuted to $153 million in 2019. It’s also among the biggest debuts ever for a female-skewing movie, and is performing in the range of the later Hunger Games and Twilight titles. Starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling as the popular Mattel dolls Barbie and Ken, the movie takes a satirical look at themes of consumerism, feminism, and, indeed, existentialism. Barbie also stars Kate McKinnon, Issa Rae, Hari Nef, Emma Mackey, Simu Liu, Ncuti Gatwa, America Ferrera, Michael Cera and many others. You can watch our interview with Robbie and Gosling here, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.