director
Greta Gerwig breaks the billion mark with “Barbie”.
Director Greta Gerwig at the “Barbie” premiere in London. photo
© Scott Garfitt/Invision/AP/dpa
She colored the world pink: Greta Gerwig breaks a magical record with “Barbie” as the first female director.
Just two and a half weeks after its release, the film, starring Margot Robbie (33) as Barbie and Ryan Gosling (42) as Ken, has grossed about $459 million in US theaters and about $572 million abroad.
A milestone in candy colors
Warner Bros. studio sales executives Jeff Goldstein and Andrew Cripps said Barbillion exceeded even their most optimistic projections: “No one but Greta Gerwig could have brought this generational icon and her world to life in such a funny, emotional and entertaining story can (…).” The 40-year-old director (“Lady Bird”) literally colored the world pink.
Warner executives Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy paid tribute to Gerwig’s “unique vision”. The fact that the film broke the billion mark is “a milestone that testifies to her brilliance and her commitment to deliver a film that Barbie fans of all ages want to see on the big screen”. So far, according to media reports, only about 50 films have grossed more than one billion dollars in cinemas worldwide.
Warner Bros. announced the project with Australian Robbie 2019. The Barbie doll has only appeared in animated films, never in a feature-length film with real actors. Director Gerwig, along with her husband Noah Baumbach (“Marriage Story”) also wrote the screenplay for the trip of the famous toy doll and her boyfriend Ken to real California.