BARBIE has become the highest grossing film of 2023 after generating US$1.38 billion at the worldwide box office.

The results passed the previous leader, The Super Mario Bros Movie from Comcast’s Universal Pictures, according to a statement on Sunday (Sep 3) from Warner Bros Discovery, which released Barbie.

With no other films this year likely to draw as big an audience, it’s a record that will probably stand. The picture is already the highest grossing in Warner Bros history.

Directed by Greta Gerwig and starring Margot Robbie, Barbie has become a cultural phenomenon with many fans dressing in pink to see the live-action take on Mattel’s famous fashion doll. It scored 88 per cent approval on the review aggregator RottenTomatoes.com. Critic Brandon Collins, of Medium Popcorn, called Barbie a “hilarious and thought provoking film that made me examine my own biases”.

The movie came out on Jul 21, the same date as Universal’s Oppenheimer from director Christopher Nolan. The release schedule spurred a social media frenzy known as Barbenheimer that saw people race to theatres to see both pictures on the same day. The demand helped set box office records at chains including AMC Entertainment Holdings and Vue International.

Barbie and Oppenheimer were among the last big-budget films that actors could promote before their union, the Screen Actors Guild, went on strike in mid-July. Actors have since been barred from attending premieres and participating in press interviews to discuss projects from Hollywood’s largest studios, a turn of events that could depress attendance for other films this year.

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Some big films, including Warner Bros’ upcoming Dune: Part Two, have had their debut dates pushed into next year. BLOOMBERG