Barbie movie set to surpass Super Mario Bros. as highest-grossing film of 2023

Written by Henrik Rothen

Aug.23 - 2023 9:13 PM CET

Entertainment
Foto: Barbie
Foto: Barbie
Barbie movie set to surpass Super Mario Bros.

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The "Barbie" movie is on the brink of becoming the highest-grossing film at the domestic box office this year, poised to dethrone "Super Mario Bros." according to CNN. As of Wednesday, studio estimates report that "Barbie" has earned $572.3 million at the American box office, inching closer to Mario's domestic total of $574.2 million.

It's anticipated that "Barbie," inspired by the iconic doll, will officially claim the title from the video game adaptation "Super Mario Bros." on Thursday when Wednesday's box office results are announced. Remarkably, "Barbie" is expected to reach this record-breaking title in just 35 days since its release, while it took Mario, Luigi, and the gang 138 days to cross the $574.2 million benchmark in the United States.

Since its premiere on July 21, "Barbie" has shattered numerous records. The film raked in $155 million domestically in its opening weekend, marking the largest opening weekend of the year and the biggest-ever debut for a female director. In subsequent weeks, it also became Warner Bros. Discovery's highest-grossing domestic release, surpassing the 2008 blockbuster, "The Dark Knight."

Last week, "Barbie" crossed the $1.2 billion mark globally, after hitting the $1 billion milestone less than three weeks prior. This achievement places it among only about 50 films in history to reach this figure, adjusted for inflation. It also establishes director Greta Gerwig as the highest-grossing female movie director in history.

The movie's reign at the top of the box office ended last weekend when "Blue Beetle" unseated "Barbie." The latest DC superhero film grossed an estimated $25.4 million, while "Barbie" fell to second place, earning $21.5 million, according to studio estimates.

Both "Barbie" and "Blue Beetle" are distributed by CNN's parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery.