'Barbie' breaks Philippine box office records

MANILA, Philippines — YES, we are Barbie girls in a Barbie world, declaring our never-ending enchantment with the perfect Barbie doll, as "Barbie," the movie, hit the theaters last July 19.

Some moviegoers even proudly donned their brightest pinks as they flocked to the cinemas on opening day, not wanting to miss catching one of the year’s most hotly anticipated movies on its opening weekend.

Just like that, and the ‘Barbie’ fever was on.

Ryan Gosling, who plays Ken, is given instructions before a take.

Greta Gerwig’s "Barbie" arrived in theaters globally to a record-shattering $337 million (P18.4 billion) worldwide, taking in $182 million (P9.94 billion) in international markets as announced by Jeff Goldstein, president of domestic distribution, and Andrew Cripps, president of international distribution, for Warner Bros. Pictures.

Swept in on a wave of social memes and sell-out shows, "Barbie" took the No. 1 spot in 55 markets, including the Philippines.

In the Philippines, it did not only rake in big moolah but also broke records. The Margot Robbie-Ryan Gosling starrer (Robbie plays Barbie and Gosling is Ken) now holds the local record for the biggest Warner Bros. opening weekend for the year and during the COVID era, as well as the biggest opening weekend locally for director Gerwig  and Gosling.

Propelled by massive anticipation and widespread critical praise, "Barbie" has scored well with audiences, earning an A audience score and a 90% audience rating from Rotten Tomatoes. The Robbie-led film about the classic doll was a hit with critics as well, with a 90% certified fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes as of this writing.

"The massive, overwhelming response we've seen out there proves what we've known from the beginning: that 'Barbie' is not only an incredibly special film, but clearly the theatrical event of the summer, if not the year," says Goldstein.

A scene in "Barbie" being shot.

He adds: "Greta, Margot, Ryan and the entire 'Barbie' team have delivered exactly the kind of fun, transporting theatrical experience that audiences everywhere have been craving for, as they continue to demonstrate in numbers we haven't seen since before the pandemic. We couldn't be more thrilled to be part of it, and we would like to congratulate everyone involved in this brilliant labor of love."

Cripps agrees: "The incredible results we've seen across every releasing market is a testament to not only Greta's singular vision but the cross-generational impact of Mattel's iconic creation all over the world. Everything about this film — from its cotton candy-pink wit to the warm-hearted optimism at its core — is engaging with people of all ages in a powerful way, as the long lines at theaters and massive excitement on social media continue to attest. Greta Gerwig and her remarkable cast and crew have delivered absolutely the right film at the right time, and with word-of-mouth and repeat business this strong, that momentum is likely to continue well into the year."

The movie also stars America Ferrera, Kate McKinnon, Michael Cera, Ariana Greenblatt, Issa Rae, Rhea Perlman, Will Ferrell, Ana Cruz Kayne, Emma Mackey, Hari Nef, Alexandra Shipp, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Simu Liu, Ncuti Gatwa, Scott Evans, Jamie Demetriou, Connor Swindells, Sharon Rooney, Nicola Coughlin, and Oscar-winner Helen Mirren.

Oscar-nominated writer-director Gerwig directed "Barbie" from a screenplay by herself and Oscar nominee Noah Baumbach, based on Barbie by Mattel.

The film's producers are Robbie, Oscar nominee David Heyman, Tom Ackerley and Robbie Brenner, with Michael Sharp, Josey McNamara, Ynon Kreiz, Courtenay Valenti, Toby Emmerich, and Cate Adams serving as executive producers.

Now showing in Philippine cinemas, "Barbie" is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Discovery company.