'Barbie' movie tops $1 billion in box office ticket sales

The blockbuster film "Barbie" has reaped over $1 billion (more than €900 million) in box office ticket sales worldwide after just two-and-a-half weeks in theaters, a unit of production studio Warner Brothers said on Sunday.

Warner Bros. Pictures said the film sold $549 million worth of tickets domestically (which includes both the US and Canada), and another $572.1 million overseas since its release on July 21.

"As distribution chiefs, we're not often rendered speechless by a film's performance, but Barbillion has blown even our most optimistic predictions out of the water," said Jeff Goldstein and Andrew Cripps, who oversee the film's domestic and international distribution, respectively.

The sales have been confirmed by media analytics firm Comscore.

Barbie's top competitor these past two weeks, Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer biopic, has meanwhile reaped $228.6 million domestically and $552.9 million globally, making it the highest grossing adults-only rated film of the year.

Recent films to hit the $1 billion box office barrier include "The Super Mario Bros" this year, and the "Top Gun: Maverick" sequel last year, as well as the second installment of "Avatar" in 2022.

Record set for Gerwig as female director

The film set a record for its director and co-writer Greta Gerwig, making her the first female solo director to top the $1 billion benchmark. Other female directors have achieved this whopping box office sale, but as co-directors.

The Oscar-nominated Gerwig is known for her feminist vision, overseeing earlier successes such as "Ladybird" and the 2019 production of "Little Women".

Barbie stars Margot Robbie as Mattel's iconic doll, and Ryan Gosling as her boyfriend Ken.

It follows the story of the two dolls as they leave "Barbie Land" for an adventure in the real world, playfully exploring topics such as the controversy surrounding the doll's impact on women's self image as well as patriarchy.