“Barbie” has overtaken Christopher Nolan’s 2008 superhero epic “The Dark Knight” as the highest-grossing domestic release in Warner Bros. history. It is also anticipated that “Barbie” will surpass Universal’s animated “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” ($574 million) as the biggest domestic release of 2023. “Barbie,” which just hit $1.2 billion globally, can also potentially pass “Mario” ($1.35 billion) as the highest-grossing release of the year, worldwide.
“Barbie” has remained the No. 1 movie since its release, becoming the fastest Warner Bros. film (and eighth in the studio’s 100-year history) to join the $1 billion club. If numbers remain strong, it can perhaps top 2011’s “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2” ($1.34 billion) as the studio’s highest-grossing worldwide release of all time.
In addition, “Barbie” earned the biggest opening of the year with $162 million, taking over that spot held by “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” ($146 million). It also landed the biggest debut ever for a film directed by a woman, overtaking Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck’s 2019 blockbuster “Captain Marvel” ($153 million).
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