'Barbie' becomes Warner Bros. highest-grossing domestic release

LOS ANGELES: It's not just a Barbie world but a Barbie record, now that Greta Gerwig's 'Barbie' has overtaken 'The Dark Knight' as Warner Bros highest-grossing domestic film, reported German news agency (dpa).

The news comes just after the pink-as-can-be Margot Robbie vehicle surpassed US$537.5 million at the US box office, less than a month after hitting theatres July 21, Variety reports.

The Oscar-winning Batman flick, raked in US$536 million in domestic box office receipts.

This isn't the first record it has achieved since its highly anticipated release.

'Barbie' surpassed 2019's 'Captain Marvel' (US$153 million) by a mile as the biggest-ever debut for a female-directed film, according to the outlet.

The meta Mattel comedy also boasts the best box office previews of 2023.

The film, which also stars Ryan Gosling, crossed the US$1 billion threshold in global ticket sales earlier this month, in turn surpassing the previous record for films helmed by female directors. Patty Jenkins' 'Wonder Woman', also from Warner Bros, grossed US$821 million.

Though some conservatives, including Senator Ted Cruz and commentator Ben Shapiro, have slammed what they described as the movie's "woke" messaging, that hasn't slowed its successful run, which doesn't seem to be stopping anytime soon.

Robbie, the star and producer of the smash-hit film, will take home a whopping paycheck in salary and box office bonuses.

-- BERNAMA