Barbie Franchise Announces New Licensed Products, Including ‘Weird Barbie’
By Gary Symons
TLL Editor in Chief
The Barbie Movie hit a new milestone, surpassing $1 billion at the global box office, spawning a new wave of licensed Barbie merch.
The unstoppable film that has shocked the movie-going world broke the $1 billion in just over two weeks since its July release, with Greta Gerwig setting a new record for female directors. The box office record was previously held by Patty Jenkins for the first Wonder Woman film.
Gerwig’s all-conquering, feminist-themed Barbie film also joins some very exclusive company, as one of only 53 films to surpass the $1 billion mark, with the films’s distributors now using the nickname ‘Barbillion’ to refer to the toy-inspired juggernaut.
“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 domestic and international distribution for Warner Bros., in a joint statement.
Warner Bros Pictures announced on Sunday that the movie took in $459m from North American theaters and another $572.1m overseas over the weekend, for a total of $1.0315bn (A$1.56bn, £800m). The figure was confirmed by media analytics firm Comscore.
The film’s staggering performance at a time when many pundits were questioning the viability of theatrical releases has also spawned an almost unprecedented wave of licensing deals that number in the hundreds. In fact, Mattel has just released news on another slate of licensing products hitting the market, including a new ‘Weird Barbie’ doll modeled after the character played by Saturday Night Live alumnus Kate McKinnon.
Like the Weird Barbie in the film, the doll arrives roughed up as a doll that’s been “played with too much,” sort of like distressed blue jeans sold with rips and tears in the fabric.
The expanded collection also features new looks worn by the film’s iconic Barbie and Ken characters, and a four-pack of Hot Wheels Corvettes inspired by Barbie and Ken’s cars in the film.
“We are thrilled to see how much love and excitement Barbie the Movie has already sparked among fans,” said Lisa McKnight, Executive Vice President and Chief Brand Officer, Mattel. “With the latest editions to the collection, we are offering even more ways for fans to immerse themselves in Barbie Land and celebrate the characters and stories they see on screen. Barbie continues to be the cultural event of the summer, and as we chart Mattel’s path forward, she will continue to serve as an icon of empowerment and inspiration for generations to come.”
Fans of the film will immediately recognize the new offerings, which include Barbie and Ken dolls in a rollerblade skating outfit; Barbie in her ‘Pink Power’ jumpsuit; Ken rocking a faux fur coat and black fringe vest, and another in the black and white urban cowboy outfit.
The expanded Mattel collection of Barbie the Movie products builds upon the June 2023 launch of movie toys from UNO, Hot Wheels, Fisher-Price, MEGA and Barbie. This latest items are available in collectible packaging and are available for pre-sale now at retailers nationwide and the Mattel Shop for an SRPn(suggested retail price) of $25 to $75.
It’s hard to say how much the film will eventually be worth, as licensed product sales are combining with box office returns that are still climbing fast. In fact, Barbie crossed the $1 billion mark faster than any film ever released by Warner, including the Harry Potter films, hitting that mark in just 17 days. This year it is now second only to The Super Mario Bros, which took in a total of $1.357 billion, but Barbie appears to be far from done and has the potential to hit number one.
Barbie hit $53 million in its third weekend of release, a decline of just 43% from the prior weekend, indicating the film still has legs. It was also the top earning film for the weekend, easily surpassing new entries Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem and Meg 2: The Trench.