"Barbie" makes history as film surpasses $1B in box office sales

• It's the first film solely directed by a woman to ever cross $1 billion in global box office sales.

Details: "Barbie," which debuted July 21, has brought in a total of $459 million in North American ticket sales, and another $572 million from theaters overseas.

• The film continued to attract movie-goers even in its third weekend in theaters, generating $53 million domestically and $74 million overseas.
• No movie in Warner Bros.' 100-year history has sold so many tickets so fast, Warner Bros. president of domestic distribution Jeff Goldstein told the New York Times.

For the record: The previous highest-grossing film by a woman director was held by Chinese director Jia Ling. Her 2021 hit "Hi, Mom" grossed $834 million worldwide.

Be smart: Before "Barbie," only a handful of sole female directors in the U.S. have come close to the $1 billion milestone.

• Most notably, Warner Bros.' 2017 hit "Wonder Woman," directed by Patty Jenkins, earned an impressive $821 million globally in sales. Like "Barbie," that film also centered around a lead female actor, Gal Gadot.

The bottom line: "Barbie's" success shows that a strong female lead can attract real attention at the box office.

Go deeper: Barbie's sociocultural meaning in 2023